


BULLY

by neptunecookie



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Reader-Insert, Rivalry, Sexual Content, Slow Burn, Smut, Summer Camp AU, haikyuu au, kind of, more tags will be added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:40:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 52,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28159209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neptunecookie/pseuds/neptunecookie
Summary: when y/n signed up for summer camp, she didn’t expect to be stuck with her high school bully for a month.
Relationships: Oikawa Tooru/Reader
Comments: 550
Kudos: 404





	1. Chapter 1

_camp kumatiki— a beautiful spot in the wilderness for vacationing young adults. though, looks aren’t the only thing that makes kumatiki so popular!_

_the campers that stay at kumatiki are placed into units: equus, ursa, lupus, leo, and ibis._

_during the month, their units are put against each other in games, which in turn will determine their ranking for—_

after reading the pamphlet for the tenth time, y/n folds the paper and places it in her shorts pocket.

tendou glances at her from the wheel, a smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth. "you finally got bored of reading that thing?"

"i got bored of it a long time ago,” she answers, resting an elbow on the door as a prop for her head. her index finger subconsciously twirls a strand of hair, spinning it so tight that it eventually snaps.

"you were so excited for this six hours ago, what happened?"

with a huff, she shoots him a half-lidded look. "six hours happened."

at the hand of their g.p.s, the car slows and takes a turn onto a wooded road, joining a line of cars headed in the same direction. "well, i think you'll be happy to know that we're almost there."

suddenly, y/n's spine shoots upright, gazing out the window in anticipation. she looks past the reflection displaying back at her, watching as they pass trails of foliage.

up ahead, there's a gravel road they turn onto, the change in terrain obvious from the sound and dust being stirred. when the visually obstructing trees finally break into an open area, she squeals with glee.

the camp is vastly spread, paths and trails leading to places unseeable from the entrance. a blueish-white mountain sits as its backdrop, so close that y/n swears she can almost touch the ridges.

tendou's sneakers pad across the parking lot, sticking a hand out to lower hers. "what are you doing?" he tilts his head to the side, watching her pointed finger move up and down at nothing.

"tracing the mountain." she drops her arm to her side, sending her friend a close-mouthed smile.

tendou rolls his eyes playfully, the slump in his back deepening. "okay, can you stop being weird and get your luggage?"

stepping back to the car, y/n digs into the trunk for her things. "i'm not being weird!" she heaves, popping the suitcase from its snug spot. "i might draw it later."

when the wheels of their suitcases land against the asphalt, they make their way to the sign-in booth together. "what does tracing it with your finger do?" he sends her a sideways glance as they walk beside each other, their belongings dragging behind.

she shrugs in response. “dunno. muscle memory?”

at the wooden desk, two people sit with papers on the surface in front of them. the woman on the right slides them each a sample from the first batch, a pen as well.

they sign the paperwork quickly.

afterwards, the man to the left grabs two name tags, scribbling their names on them with permanent marker. they peel the sticky part off the back and plaster it to their chests.

taking a look at another document, the woman glides her finger across the page, tutting during her search. "aha," she smiles wearily, "you two will be in unit ibis, cabin three— but first, you’ll have to go to the orientation ceremony at the dining hall. there's a map over there that will help you find your way." she points towards the center of the camp. "just leave your luggage here with us, somebody will drop it off for you."

complying, the two go for the map and locate their next destination. it's a bit of a walk away, but it isn't too bad. though, the path they take is an uphill trek through the woods, which has tendou getting smacked in the head with more branches than he can count.

at the top of the hill, there's a large building with sizable windows lining the sides. despite the tints, it takes just a glance to know that it's _packed_. upon walking through the double-doors, a suffocatingly loud chatter engulfs them. y/n even stops for a moment, overwhelmed. "holy...—"

tendou pauses as well, rubbing a hand over his neck. "this is crazy." it's not every day that the usually extroverted boy feels small in a crowd.

a counselor clad in a tan uniform appears in his peripheral. they look over the duo, then down to the clipboard in their hands.

checking which unit their names are associated with, they point them in the direction of their assigned tables.

finding available seats beside each other, they awkwardly sit amidst their yapping unit. everyone seems to have already been given time to be acquainted— y/n feels late to the party. tendou on the other hand, simply rests his chin in his palms, peering around the room observantly.

he scans a plethora of people, taking mental notes on the few that interest him. noticing a particularly rowdy gathering towards the other end of the hall, he raises his brows.

with a squint, he takes an immediate disliking towards the group, as they seem to be entirely irritating. though, perhaps that's just a given considering the handfuls of girls smothering them.

he purses his lips.

 _no_ , he's not jealous. definitely not.

for a while, he spends his time bitterly ogling, but when one of the girls steps to the side, he catches sight of a figure sitting at the table.

he has his back to the tabletop, elbows propped behind him so that his hands hang idly off the edge. his legs rest leisurely apart, taking up a good portion of his own space in the crowd.

after a charming smile and maybe a few flirtatious lip-bites, it doesn't take a genius to know that most of the girls are there for him— if not all.

he scoffs, nudging y/n with his arm. "get a load of this asshole.” he leans down to mutter, gesturing in the womanizer's direction with distaste. following where he points, y/n's eyes bulge.

"oh, no way..."

the memories come flooding in. suddenly, all of the excitement drains from her body, like something grabs ahold of it and viciously rips it away.

the boy is familiar— too familiar for her liking.

she watches as he flashes a pearly grin to his entourage; charming, polite, and genuine— the same smile he gave her many times while tormenting her, the same smile that used to belittle and shit-talk her unprovoked.

her gaze trails down to his hands. like a lingering phantom of the past, she can still feel the way they used to grab fistfuls of her hair and crush boxes of milk against her chest, the way they use to push, shove, and prod at her like she was some doll to abuse to his liking.

and his voice— god, his voice. she can almost make it out in the stir of conversations. there's an alluring lilt to it, one that seldom changes. it makes even the worst of insults sound safe.

her stomach twists.

tendou juts back at her demeanor change. "woah— hey, are you okay?" he studies her frozen state. she looks like frightened prey.

slowly slipping back to reality, she stares at him for a moment before speaking. "oh, yeah. sorry, i'm fine." she smiles weakly at the tabletop, brushing h/c strands behind her ear. "just— uh, stay away from that guy. he's a total jackass."

shoulders rolling so he can lean closer, he eyes her questioningly. "you know him?"

despite his nearing to coax her into it, she doesn't look at him. "yeah. his name's oikawa." she almost whispers the name, fearing that he might somehow overhear. "he used to bully the shit out of me in high school."

he thins his lips as she laughs stiffly, playing off how much she wishes she wouldn't have seen him just now.

"seriously?" he glances over his shoulder towards oikawa again, applying the new information. "...why?" it's not that he doesn't believe her, but he does think it's strange considering he seems to enjoy female attention.

"i have no idea." is all she can reply with before a man in uniform walks over and stands at the front of the hall.

he blows the whistle around his neck until everyone goes silent. with a beaming, probably fake smile, he folds his arms behind his back.

loudly, he starts, "good morning, everyone! welcome to camp kumatiki! today, we'll be announcing the units,” he pauses and there's a few monotonous cheers afterwards. "now, i know you're all excited, but there are a few important things to go over first."

he paces back and forth as he talks, explaining the workings of the camp— which, for the most part, is stuff y/n read in the pamphlet.

she zones out for a while, and when she decides to pay attention again, she realizes she missed out on most of the rules.

"— and remember to have fun, but not _too_ much fun! any inappropriate behavior is _prohibited_ on campgrounds and will result in an automatic disqualification!"

with that, he clasps his hands together. "now, onto the units!" he walks off to the side, allowing two girls to take his place while the audience erupts into obligatory clapping.

one of them holds a paper, the other a microphone. "hello!" one starts. "before we begin, we would like you to keep in mind that these are not only your units, but your teams! you will be working together this month to claim the _ultimate_ prize—" the girl holding the microphone steps away for a moment, grabbing a trophy off the ground. its golden color shines under the fluorescents as she holds it up. the design portrays a group of animals— an owl spreading its wings at the top, a horse rearing in the center above a howling wolf, and a lion and bear encasing them from the sides. "the kumatiki cup!" they shout in unison.

this time, the following applause is full of energy. true excitement radiates from the crowd.

they wait for the whoops and hoots to die down before continuing. "you’ve all been sorted according to the tests you submitted with your paperwork— this has been done to ensure the absolute best odds for all the teams!" the girl with the microphone takes the paper in hand. "with that being said, our first unit is lupus! lupus, please step up to the front!"

the beckoned few sift through the sea of people. they're in full view thanks to the first-row placement of y/n's table, and she makes out at least one of them to be recognizable— kuroo tetsurou.

having been good friends at one point, she wishes she could sneak a small wave to him, but her seat is just out of his line of sight. perhaps he'll see her when it's their turn to go up.

as the next teams' names are called, ursa and equus, she realizes that ibis is probably going to be last. she plops her head down in her hand with a sigh, growing tired of sitting around.

she almost doesn't notice when leo is called, but the high-pitched hollering that ensues is too deafening to ignore.

when the figures walk past where she sits, her breath hitches.

right in front of her stands oikawa tooru himself. as they did for the others, the girls reveal their traits— confident, assured, winning team for the last three years in a row— but y/n hardly hears, and she's not sure if oikawa's listening either.

his features are relaxed but smug, giving off the impression that he's already won. a smirk pulls at his lips as he stares down his nose at her, unwavering. it suddenly feels like everyone else in the room fades, leaving just the two of them.

he looks as if he knew of her presence long before she noticed his, like her eyes on him earlier might as well have been shouting at him. more surprisingly, he looks like he's looking at an old friend. it's almost enough to trick her into thinking he's had a change of heart— but those pools of malice brewing behind his dark hues, those sickly, bubbling pools that he's practiced so hard to keep hidden, are all too visible to her. she begins to think that if anyone else were to catch onto his gaze, they might even feel envious.

if only they knew.

* * *

after being dismissed, people swarm the campgrounds once again. the duo treads towards a building with a sign beside it that reads: 'TRADING POST'. next to the building is the map of the camp's layout.

making note of the route, they head in the direction of their unit. on the way, they pass a lake with one of the biggest water slides they've ever seen. tendou makes a comment about wanting to go there sometime.

soon, in a secluded, wooded spot, ibis’s cabins come into view. there’s groups of people standing around each of them, including their own.

two silhouettes chat beneath the overhang by the door, noticing them as they approach.

earlier, y/n learned that these two were ushijima and goshiki. instantly, tendou bounds over to spark conversation, having already been friends with them beforehand.

still a bit shaken from the mortifying ordeal that was the orientation— specifically when it was ibis's turn to stand and she was on full display for oikawa to poke fun at, she skips out on any further acquainting.

instead, she pulls open the squeaky door to the cabin, which is so flimsy that she fears it'll shatter when it closes on her heel, wobbling back and forth until she stops it.

the inside is just about as anyone would imagine. there’s three bunk beds against the walls, nightstands beside each one for extra belongings. she's a little upset that there isn't anywhere to change, as the team consists of mostly boys. she figures her and the only other girl will have to solve that problem when the time comes.

she grabs her luggage and drops it beside the bed she claims, sitting down on the stiff, springless mattress. then, she narrows her eyes, tracing the walls with searching glances. standing, she walks aimlessly in the dim light from the two windows by the door. when she looks up to the ceiling, she almost jumps out of her skin at the sight.

someone lays quietly on one of the top bunks, a leg resting atop the other and arms folded behind his head.

the foot dangling on his opposing knee bobs thoughtfully. “no light." his low voice tears through the silence.

"w...what?"

"there's no light."

realizing that he saw her looking for a light fixture, she slowly falls out of her statue-like state. "oh..."

he's a stranger, so naturally, she studies him in interest. he comes off as a low-key guy, but not dull. as for looks, he appears like any average person, the most notable thing being his messy, ash blonde hair.

"... what's your name again?" y/n mutters awkwardly.

"semi."

* * *

all of the campers are gathered at the dining hall again the next morning. while they're eating breakfast, the games girls grab their attention.

"good morning, kumatiki! today is a big day!" they start, seeming way too energetic for the hour. "you’ll be introduced to your first activities, which will begin the countdown to the marathon at the end of the month!"

y/n sleepily blinks in their direction, tendou stretching his arms upwards with a yawn.

"the points you get from these activities decides your rank on the points-board. in the end, the top two teams will participate in the marathon— but only one will take the kumatiki cup!"

nodding to herself with a frown, y/n feels a little discouraged. basically, there are two competitions— the fight to secure your place, and then the marathon itself. sure, she's athletic to a certain extent, but she's yet to test her limits; what if she can't hold up?

the girls go on, listing off which teams will do what for the day. "—and for archery, ibis, ursa," they pause, and y/n prematurely praises the lord for the lack of leo mention.

"and leo."

eyes flitting up to check if she heard right, her body inhales sharply, an instant reaction to her rise in anxiety.

just her luck.

from behind, she hears leo's table share a few lines of cockiness. oikawa's laugh, no matter how divine the sound, rattles her eardrums. it's surprising that at one time in her life it didn't sound like nails on chalkboard.

leaving crescent dents in her palm under the tabletop, she decides that she won't let him ruin this for her so easily— not like how she did in high school. this time, she'll bite back.

as everyone rises from their seats, throwing their trash away and putting up their trays, ibis, leo, and ursa huddle by the door. while waiting for the counselor, y/n's gaze burns into the back of oikawa's head, watching resentfully as he and his equally bad friends converse.

beside her, the other ibis girl pokes her with her elbow. "... do you have a crush on him or something?" she questions lowly, her orange bangs hanging messily over her eyes.

y/n almost jumps, sending her a hardened look. "no." she answers flatly, fast enough to sound suspicious if you didn’t know their background.

she clicks her tongue. "your chances with him probably aren't the best, there's a lot of other girls in line, too." she stares over semi's shoulder vacantly.

there's a twitch in y/n's brow, and she raises her voice slightly. "i don't have a crush on him! he's a prick!"

apparently, her outburst is loud enough to be heard up front. when she glances in his direction again, oikawa's head is turned.

y/n's cheeks run hot. before facing away, his eyes trace her up and down once, dismissing her.

"i think he heard you." the girl notes, and y/n refrains from strangling her. instead, she sighs, shoulders slumping. "...yeah."

when the counselor finally appears to explain a few things, y/n steps close to the redhead. "uh... by the way, what was your name again?"

she mimics her movements, leaning in as well. "you can call me juju."

nodding in acknowledgment, y/n follows the groups as they begin to move. she and juju walk side by side.

"have you ever done archery before?" she speaks up, breaking y/n’s stare with the ground.

"oh, uh— no. never," she clears her throat. "have you?"

"yeah, a few times. only because this is my third year here, though.” she wipes a bead of sweat from her brow, the rising sun making it hotter by the minute.

y/n hums in response.

the archery field is large and grassy, excluding the mowed square they stand in. the tree-line can be seen in the distance, along with the gravel path they walked to get here. sweaty and already exhausted, nobody is looking forward to the trek back.

the counselor grabs some bows from the rack, demonstrating the differences and how to use them. thankfully, he says the activities allow a practice round before the actual match.

at first, she's a little uncoordinated, but with a handful of tips from the counselor and juju, y/n gets the hang of it.

she stands at the first target, stretching her bow and aiming for the center. as she's about to let her fingers slip, she sees oikawa in her peripheral. at the second target, he aims his own and fires, hitting the ring just outside the red.

in her distraction, she doesn't notice that her bow has tilted. accidentally dropping the string, the arrow goes flying off into the prairie with a whizz.

both leo and ursa break out into unapologetic laughter. her face grows hot, and she gives tendou a foot-stomp upon realizing that he's laughing as well.

"please don't do that when we're actually shooting for points." he snickers, a knuckle to his lips.

when she walks back under the pavilion, he gives her a reassuring shoulder-pat, still stifling chuckles. "hey, you learn from your mistakes, right?"

she rolls her eyes. "whatever."

when the actual rounds start, they're even more nerve wracking than she predicted. she manages to aim fairly decent, landing a few arrows. at first, ibis takes the lead, but leo quickly snatches it back. the activity eventually finishes with leo as the victor, the groups' points adding up to:

LEO: 5

IBIS: 0

URSA: 0

ursa and ibis exchange disappointed groans with their units. as tendou loudly returns his bow to the rack, pride-laced comments carry in the air.

pausing while putting away her things, y/n lifts her head in the direction of the sounds. oikawa and iwaizumi collect their arrows from the last round, making snide remarks about the others as they rip the objects from the targets.

catching her eyeing the two, tendou smacks the back of her head. "are you going to put that stuff up so we can leave, or what?"

* * *

oikawa waits until dinner to approach y/n's table.

he shows like a fox that'd been stalking her for quite some time— silently and out of nowhere.

she gets no warning before he's sliding into the seat next to her, his elbows crossed on the tabletop as he watches her intently.

his friends follow, some taking seats also, some standing by.

recognizing who it is on instinct, she merely looks over at tendou sitting across from her. he raises a brow at the surrounding boys, slurping a noodle into his mouth.

she peers down at her tray, blood boiling. "what?" she snaps.

he laughs.

he laughs that stupid, condescending laugh that makes you want to take back whatever it’s in response to, no matter how benign it was.

turning and resting his head on his knuckle, he starts, "oh, i just noticed all the _longing_ looks you were giving me today." he coos. "i thought you missed me.”

y/n's stomach drops. _he noticed?_

suddenly, she goes quiet— frozen from embarrassment. it doesn’t matter that she was staring at him with contempt, she was still _staring_.

"i mean, seriously, what was that during archery practice? how much more obvious can you get?" he smiles, eliciting a few chuckles from his friends.

"shut the fuck up."

“ah—?” oikawa's mouth pops open slightly, his eyes studying her like she's some kind of foreign creature— amused and interested. "what?" he glances to iwaizumi, who's standing by, blank-faced. leaning in, he questions again, "what was that?"

"she told you to shut the fuck up." tendou butts in, his features twisting in what y/n thinks to be annoyance— anger? it's not an expression he makes often enough to know for sure.

dark irises flicker in his direction. “i want to hear it from her, thanks." he states monotonously.

there's a clatter as tendou drops his utensils, standing and leaning forward. everyone goes quiet, even the noise from neighboring tables dies down. "why? does it scare you hearing it from somebody your own size?"

oikawa's eyes slowly trail up to his face, unmoved. after a moment, he clears his throat, glancing at y/n again.

much to her relief, he rises from his spot, placing his hands in his pockets.

"y/n, we'll hang out some other time." he glares into tendou's cold, hardened gaze. "just make sure not to bring this guy again, okay?"

listening for the sound of their footsteps, she lets out a deep, ragged breath.

it’s going to be a long month.


	2. Chapter 2

y/n's hands lay folded on her stomach, rising rhythmically with her breaths. she studies the cabin ceiling, making out the crevices and scribblings given the little moonlight she has.

the top bunk wasn't her first choice, obviously, but tendou complained so much about "not fitting up here" that she basically had no other option than to switch.

she was supposed to be asleep two hours ago— or has it been longer? she's not sure, time passes differently in the woods, she thinks.

leaning over to the edge of the bunk, she listens intently for any movement. "hey," she whispers, pushing aside any fear of waking the others. if they can sleep through ushijima's foundation-crumbling snoring, then they can sleep through a bit of talk.

"hey, tendou. are you awake?"

below her, tendou inhales sharply. "what?" he breathes. "oh... yeah. yeah, i'm awake." a series of sleepy noises follow that indicate he was _not_ awake a minute ago. "what's wrong?"

"um," she pauses, feeling slightly guilty for disturbing him. "i just wanted to say thanks... for helping me out earlier. nobody's ever done that for me before."

he goes quiet for so long that she wonders if he's fallen asleep again. just as she’s about to roll over, he speaks.

"don't worry about it." his coarse voice answers lowly. "... now, go to sleep, will you?"

the corners of her mouth perk gently, dropping her hand after picking her cuticles in thought. "alright."

* * *

early morning, ibis, equus, and lupus head for one of the camp's lakes.

stomping through the marsh trails, y/n lifts a hand to cover her eyes from the ascending sun.

at her side, kuroo takes a hefty bite from his granola bar. he taps her with the top of his palm, making a noise in his throat.

she glances over to see him offering the rest of his peanut butter and chocolate concoction.

scanning the item, the scene feels akin to one from their youth, eliciting a moment of deja vu.

her and kuroo used to walk to school like this daily, exchanging snacks in the morning haze. with their houses being close and their parents closer, they were pushed into the routine at a young age.

at first, it was awkward and painful— creating pits in their stomachs whenever they remembered they had to spend twenty minutes in silence with a stranger for most of the week.

but on one cold, snowy morning in december, kuroo offered y/n a chunk of his rice krispy. despite her surprise, she took it, sprouting their first string of attachment.

sharing food; who would have thought the affections of it? such a small, measly action, but it's hard to deny that there's something dear in breaking away pieces of your own for another, who in turn trusts you enough to accept.

perhaps, somewhere in the inner-workings of the mind, that's why their relationship was so effortlessly rekindled.

meeting up by the door after breakfast, their reunion stage lasted but a few minutes, still finding comfort in each other's presence as if kuroo never moved away in the first place.

reaching out, she takes the leftover piece into her hand, popping it between her molars.

walking through an opening of trees, one of the smaller lakes comes into view. it makes up for its lack in width with length, going on farther than the eye can see.

the sun reflects over the greenish-hues of the water, sparkling brightly.

y/n squints, smacking a mosquito off her calf as the counselor motions around with her hands.

"this is a relay race. your teams will line up on the docks, one person from each being in the water at a time. when the buzzer goes off, you'll get in your kayaks, take the baton," she lifts the short, white pole in the air for everyone to see. "go around the marker at the end of the lake, come back, pass off the baton, repeat."

she looks the groups over once before adding, "got it?"

they nod.

"oh, and since it's so physically draining, there's no practice round for kayaking. you better hope you can figure it out."

as they step onto the docks, kuroo looks over at y/n from his. he notices that they'll be going against each other, and lifts his arm in a point. "get ready, stink. i can’t say i’ll go easy on you!”

y/n scoffs. "since when have you been good at kayaking?" she shouts back.

"since today!"

the buzzer blares, and he quickly hops down into his boat with a splash. caught off guard, y/n staggers behind just slightly.

she sticks her legs into the object, trying not to think about how many spiders could be hiding inside. grabbing her oar, she sends water flying behind her as she skims the top of the lake frantically.

getting sprayed ruthlessly as a result, tendou flinches away from the cold droplets. "h-hey! watch it!" he scolds. "you have to actually stick the oar _in the water!"_

"sorry!" she shouts as his advice gets an immediate reaction from the kayak, pushing further down the lake with haste.

luckily, equus's baton slips into the water, giving her a short advantage while they catch it.

up ahead, she sees kuroo gaining on the buoy. her arms are burning like hell now, but she spits on the idea of giving up. she already failed her team once, and she isn't going to let it happen twice in a row.

besides, if some of the things oikawa was saying about her yesterday turned out to be true, she'd be heartbroken.

"her team will probably force her to tap-out anyway, she's just ruining their chances of winning," he mentioned to iwaizumi, leaving a tear in the target where he retracted his arrow.

"that, or she'll just run home crying for whatever reason. she's pretty good at that." they snickered.

she can almost touch kuroo's boat now, approaching his flank.

suddenly, his arms go still, dropping the oar loudly. his kayak slows, and she sneaks a curious look while passing.

his hands wave around wildly, curses leaving his lips. "get off me!" he shouts. y/n's gaze follows a black object zipping around his head. "fucking horse-fly!"

turning away, she stifles a laugh. maybe that's karma for distracting her at the start?

"OW!" he shrieks as the bug sinks its mouth into his neck.

y/n rotates around the marker, taking off in the direction of the docks once again.

locking eyes, she waves to kuroo, who now has three black bugs hovering around his head. he sticks his arm out, directing something towards her.

"sic' her, boy!" he commands one of the insects, who promptly responds with a bite to the bicep. "OW! _FUCK_!"

as the finish comes nearer, she hears ibis cheering her on, jumping up and down in anticipation.

"let's go! let's go, let's go!" tendou coaxes her onward. he's on his knees stretching dangerously far over the freezing lake, holding out his hands for her to take.

she sticks her aching palms in his and he tugs her to the dock in one big, swift movement.

they switch places. juju and goshiki hug her in celebration. "we're _leading_!" they chant while she catches her breath, a tired, content smile on her face.

* * *

later, y/n steps under the trading post's overhang, her boots padding on the deck.

at the window of the building, she waits for the woman inside to slide it open.

"two choco tacos, please." she slips her money over the cold, metal surface.

"got it." the woman reaches into the freezer beside her, pulling out two rectangular objects wrapped in crinkly paper.

with thanks, she sits down in an open spot at one of the tables. the trading post always seems to be crowded, so she's lucky she doesn't have to stand.

peeling the cover off the ice cream, she goes to stick it into her mouth. as it makes contact with her teeth, her eyes flit up, causing her to pause.

across from her sits iwaizumi hajime. he gives her a partially widened stare, as the situation couldn't be more awkward.

looking around, she notices that oikawa and his other friends aren't anywhere to be found. catching her attention with a clear of his throat, iwaizumi speaks, "i—uh, saw that we're tied on the points-board."

slowly finishing her bite, y/n swallows deeply. "...yeah." she wipes a smudge of chocolate from her cheek. "we had kayaking today."

iwaizumi hums, glancing away for a moment. "oh, um." he clears his throat once again. "good job."

the praise is stiff and slightly out of place, but it's praise none the less. she sits in shock, trying her best not to show it.

"...thanks."

not being able to withstand the tension any longer, she stands to her feet, taking the remaining, packaged food with her.

as she's about to head back to the cabin, the woman at the window yells to her, "hey! where are you going with that?"

"to my cabin?"

"you can't take ice cream to the cabins, honey." she shakes her head. "it attracts bees and stuff."

her shoulders droop, staring down at the choco taco in dismay. it was originally for tendou. how's she supposed to take it back to him if it's not allowed?

suddenly, her mind brings forth a solution. it's not her favorite idea, but it's better than letting it go to waste.

uncomfortably returning to the table, she looks down at iwaizumi, who's surveying the gaga ball pit.

tapping his shoulder, he turns, eyebrows raised. "hm?"

holding out the item, she stutters, "uh, do you like... choco tacos?"

glancing down at the wrapping, now leaking from the heat, he shrugs. "sure."

dropping it on the table in front of him, she purses her lips. "...here."

he watches as she leaves quickly after, treading down the steps and in the direction of ibis without another word.

as he rips the bag open, a sweaty oikawa slumps down beside him, leaving the others in the gaga pit.

he takes a long sip from his water bottle.

releasing it from his lips and tightening the cap on, he peers down at iwaizumi's hands. furrowing his brow deeply, he mutters through breaths, "the hell is that?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here yall go hehe 🕴 its hard writing chapters without a lot of oikawa in them lmao i have to keep reminding myself this is suppose to be a slow burn so its okay. also idk why tf the first chapter note is showing up on this chapter lol just pretend thats not embarrassing af if yall see it


	3. Chapter 3

with no activities for the day, the units spend their hours leisurely waiting for the bonfire after dark.

tendou and y/n pass time with a walk, picking at mushrooms and moss, pointing out toads and weird bugs. they even find a strangely shaped tree, one thats limbs twist and spread reminiscent of a jungle gym. perhaps from some primal urge, they climb and hang on it, staining their palms and clothes with its accumulated debris.

she's always held a special love for tendou’s natural ability to wake the inner child, to mess around like nothing else has ever mattered. in the moment that she grips the bark with her legs and lets the blood rush to her head, she feels carefree.

he probably doesn't know it, but he's an escape route— he always has been, and hopefully always will be.

when they return, the sun's swapping places with the moon, leftover purple and pink rays still visible on the horizon.

the camp roads are lit by lanterns, guiding their steps.

noticing that it's gotten quite cold, y/n stops, hesitantly looking in the direction of ibis.

a few strides ahead, tendou spins around, his hands in his pockets. "what's up?" he asks with an interested glint.

"maybe i should go back and grab a jacket?" she rubs her goose-bump ridden arms, cursing herself for not being prepared. though, the severity of the contrast in temperatures was almost unpredictable.

eyebrows perking, a smirk pulls at his lips. "are you serious? that's what the bonfire is for!"

"but the walk there and back is going to be miserable."

he waves a hand in the air. "oh, don’t be so dramatic!” his voice raises playfully. "i'll keep you warm!"

before she knows it, he's running over and wrapping her in his arms. she writhes and fights in his grasp, succumbing to giggles. "you're so stupid," she laughs. "this isn't going to work.”

releasing her, he takes on a more serious persona once again, motioning her away. "alright, alright. go ahead, go get your jacket."

thanking him, she turns. "i'll be right back!"

keeping a jog until her cabin is in view, she pushes a few cold, ragged breaths out of her lungs, grabbing the door.

sliding the wooden drawer of the nightstand open, she rummages through shirts until she finds the lone jacket she packed. it's a good thing the camp recommended bringing one, or else she'd have no other choice than to freeze.

slipping the soft material over her arms, she quickly heads outside again, trying her best to avoid making her friend wait.

as she treads near the fork in the road, her eye gravitates toward a figure on the left, presumably making their way to the bonfire as well.

what happens next makes future y/n scowl. she should've just met up with tendou like she planned, why did she stop?

coming from the direction of his own unit, is someone she rightfully developed a fear of getting caught alone with a long time ago.

oikawa.

for a moment, she considers booking it, but an unseen entity must've glued her soles in place.

he looms over her like a creature of the night— right now, she reckons he's the closest thing to a devil on earth.

with a smile, he narrows his eyes. "oh, hey, y/n."

tension runs up her spine.

"what are you doing out here?" he asks, a gentle cadence to his speech.

gripping onto the fabric of her sleeve, she mutters reluctantly, "i was just getting my jacket. i have to go—“

"ah." he nods. glancing around, his features contort. "i don't see that red-headed bastard anywhere— did you ditch him like i told you to?" he leans close, pouting mockingly. "like a _good little_ _girl?"_ he adds in a coo, poking fun at her. there's venom dripping on his tongue, like a snake preparing to sink in its fangs.

stumbling backwards embarrassingly fast, she nearly slips on the gravel. "w-what—" she clears her throat, regaining composure. "what the hell is your problem? can't you just leave me alone?"

like something snaps inside that big, ego-inflated head of his, he pauses, face drooping momentarily. slowly, menacingly, he straightens his back. at first glance, he may seem calm, but y/n instantly wishes she could go back in time and staple her mouth shut.

"my problem?" he scoffs. "you want to know what my problem is?"

her pupils contract, a tremble sparking in her fingers. "no—n-no, never mind—" she says with a shake of her head, his adopted tone being all too familiar. as she tries to sneak past him, he immediately blocks her with a sidestep of his own.

"everything about you _pisses_ me off." the top corner of his lip curls. "the way you talk, the way you walk, the way you _breathe_ — the way you actually believe you have a chance at winning this thing!" with every word, he forces her backwards using wide strides. images of the board hanging in the dining hall flash in his mind, their teams' even points on display for everyone to see. "oh, but don't get me wrong, i'm not mad because i think you can beat me, i’m mad because you're fucking _trying_."

with a growl, he places both his hands on her shoulders and shoves her. she smacks into a tree she didn't know was there, remaining pinned as he stares her down.

a lantern's flame flickers at her side, illuminating the two in a spotlight. the orange, dancing energy reflects in his eyes, shining a light on how much he despises her.

in her own, it makes the forming tears that much more visible. she tries to choke them back, instead letting out a pathetic, broken whimper. his expression doesn't change as she falls apart in front of him, slowly sliding to the ground in a pitiful slump.

with a low exhale, his foot moves back. he doesn't say anything else before he walks off, disappearing down the path.

sitting in the dirt, she lets out a series of cries. her palms wipe at her face repeatedly, but the tears won't seem to go away.

* * *

in the white moonlight, a silhouette comes into view, its rolled shoulders and curved back distinctively tendou's.

as she approaches, y/n's gaze stays on her shoes.

glancing over, tendou greets, "hey! took you long enough!" he laughs.

when all she responds with is a weak "yeah", his brows lower.

"... is something wrong?" his grin bends into a frown, posture somehow worsening.

she wants to tell him, but at the same time she can't. why should she ruin the rest of their night? why should oikawa have that kind of power?

looking up, she smiles softly. luckily, he can't see the pinks of her eyelids in this light. "what? no. i'm fine— just a long walk, y'know?"

giving her a long, long, studying look, he hums. "alright. you ready to go?"

they walk further towards the center of camp, the hues and carrying scent of the bonfire finally making itself known.

surrounding the trading post, campers from all units have gathered around to converse and socialize, sitting and loitering just about anywhere imaginable.

pushing through bodies, they make it to the base of the event, taking seats beside the fire.

immediately, two other boys snag tendou's attention, capturing him in conversation.

y/n's never seen them before. he's probably already made a few new friends— he’s pretty good at that.

peering down into the warmth by her feet, she watches as specks of ash float into the air, burning up into nothing before they hit the ground. the sticks crackle and shift, changing the shape of the flame.

as much as she fights it, her mind wanders. she gets to thinking about earlier, inducing a churning in her stomach.

an hour passes, and she loses count of the amount of times she’s had to put a death grip on the faucets behind her eyes.

eventually, she can't take it anymore— she can only hold out for so long. with the grasp on her emotions slipping, the vision-obscuring liquid releases little by little.

standing, she hopes tendou's too distracted to catch on to her attempt to leave, but just as her luck goes, it only plays out like that in her head.

she hears his voice appear behind her. “y/n? hey, where are you going?”

with every step, she internally pleads for him to just leave her be.

_don’t follow me._

_don’t follow me._

_don’t follow me._

no matter how far she goes, she can still hear the godforsaken footsteps and concern lacing each call of her name.

breaking out into sobs, she stumbles on a grassy hill, just missing the safety of the cabins. limply resting on her hands and knees, her head hangs low, tears tracing the bridge of her nose.

she barely hears tendou approach through her weeps. confused, he pauses for a moment, looking her over. dropping by her side, he sits her torso upwards. “y/n? what’s happening? i don’t understand—“

“it’s oikawa!” she cries, “it’s oikawa! it’s always oikawa!”

his eyes go wide at her hysterical state. of course, he knew that there was something bothering her; he figured she’d just tell him when she was ready— but he wasn’t prepared for it to be this bad.

he can tell that this is something she’s been keeping a lid on for far, far too long. it was bound to burst through the seams at some point, and it just so happened to be tonight. he wonders what exactly it was that managed to push her over the edge.

covering her in a hug, she trembles beneath him. “he’s awful! he’s just so awful!” her voice cracks. “i-i told myself i could handle it— i to-told myself i could make him stop, but i lied! i can’t do anything!”

he runs a palm over her back, letting her rant.

“i... i don’t know how long i can put up with him, i think i might have to go home—“

pulling away, he looks her dead in the eyes, a hand on either of her shoulders. “y/n! you can’t leave— we worked so hard to be able to do this together!” he recalls all of the money they had to save, along with the second jobs they took on over the winter just so they could be here.

“yeah... and oikawa ruined it,” she hiccups, peering into the grass.

“he’ll only ruin it if you let him! he’s just some common asshole, it’s not up to him whether you stay or not.”

with wet cheeks, she keeps a straightforward stare to the ground, sniffling.

he brings a thumb up to wipe away the leftover tears, wishing he could hear her thoughts.

after a moment, she finally speaks, “... i guess you’re right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALRIGHT...... i know nobody likes crybaby y/n............. but it was necessary for this to happen OKAY !!!! ....... now we can start getting into the fun stuff 🧍CAN THE NOTE FROM THE FIRST CHAPTER PLEASE STOP LMAO WHAT DO I DO ITS FOLLOWING ME 😩😩😩😩😭😭😭😭 like literally i have no idea why


	4. Chapter 4

a good cry is arguably nature's purest sleep aid.

but the sleep after releasing years worth of pain, resetting your emotional state, and _finally_ feeling like for once you're taking steps towards a clean slate— that sleep is like a K.O from mother nature herself.

y/n experienced that sleep for the first time last night.

that peace of mind didn't end there, either. upon waking, she felt lighter, like maybe a few of the chains she'd been dragging finally snapped. it's a small, perhaps temporary change, but she notices.

today, ibis is activity-less once again, the only two on the schedule being lupus and equus. juju says it's so the units that are behind still have a chance to catch up.

while they do enjoy the mini-events, they also enjoy their free time, as kumatiki has many things to offer.

grabbing their swimsuits, y/n and juju head for the bathhouse, leaving the boys to change in the cabin.

their flip-flops click as they step up the stone path, their garments folded over their forearms. on the way, they comment on how the day couldn't be more perfect for a dip in the lake; the sun beats down full-blast, beckoning the start of a darker tint to their shoulders.

the girl's section of the white, cinder block building is empty when they arrive. it's nice, considering they don't have to wait for a stall, but they don't understand why anyone would want to use the outhouses instead.

y/n steps out first, walking up to the mirror to check out her f/c swimsuit. she digs her finger under a couple of spots where it feels _slightly_ too tight, dropping it with a snap. through the reflection, she sees juju exit, her hot pink bikini contrasting with the paleness of her skin.

she heads to the mirror as well, pushing her overgrown bangs up with her sunglasses, revealing a freckled forehead to match the rest of her face.

reaching into her bag, she offers a stick of gum. "ready?"

y/n takes the item, unraveling the foil and tossing it in the trash. "mhm," she hums.

popping her own into her mouth, juju gives her a grin.

striding beneath the rays again, they trek down the wooded path towards the lake— the one with the waterslide, of course. luckily, it's not too far from the bathhouse at all.

when the body of water comes into view, the boys can already be seen in the crowd. a tall, lanky silhouette in red trunks cannonballs off the dock, one that y/n can only assume belongs to tendou.

toes hitting the sand, the girls kick off their flip-flops, leaving their things in a pile.

the radio by the lifeguard stand bumps summery, indie hits as they walk by. where the water hits the earth, they stand awkwardly, dipping their toes in before retreating instantly.

"holy _shit_ that's cold," juju's raspy voice exclaims while also somehow remaining monotonous.

a few feet in front of them, tendou's head pops out of the water, his red strands laying over his eyes. he parts his hair with curtain-like openings to see. "you have to jump in!"

behind him, ushijima wades closer, his broad body tearing through the liquid like it's air. "tendou, there's a green substance stuck to your head."

frantically, tendou spins around. "WHAT?" the girls snicker as he picks at the chunk of algae resting on the back of his head, seeming genuinely frightened by not knowing what it is.

"well?" y/n turns to her friend. "are we gonna jump in, or what?"

shrugging, juju lowers her glasses to rest on the bridge of her nose. "i will if you do."

giving an assuring nod, she treads onto the creaky dock, the aged wood nearly splintering her soles. eyes focused on the end, her pace quickens with every step.

from a sprint, the ball of her foot pushes off the edge of the platform, sending millions of tiny, sparkling beads into the air as she lands with a splash.

following, juju jumps shortly after.

the duo emerges with sharp gasps, laughing. the cold sensation only lingers for a moment, allowing them to swim comfortably.

immediately, tendou starts suggesting a never-ending list of things to do, including shark (someone in the water pushing the others off a raft), chicken (toppling opponents from one another’s shoulders), and a pool noodle war (self-explanatory).

with seemingly infinite hours available under the sun, they cross off every game on that list. during this time, each one of them develops tan lines and/or sunburns.

towards the fall of their antics, when they're beaten, bruised, and worn, tendou reveals that he was saving the best for last: the fifty-foot tall water slide.

the others decline, insisting that they should head back. he begs and pleads y/n to go with him, to which she doesn't mind agreeing to.

sure, she's just as tired as everyone else, but would her day really be complete without it?

juju, ushijima, and the others grab their things, waving goodbye to the two as they walk to the other side of the lake.

when they finally reach the opposite end, the figures in the shallow section are mere specks in the distance— and the slide is much, _much_ bigger.

the stairs are so steep that y/n doesn't even bother looking up, or else she'd have to stare up tendou's ass the entire time. standing on the platform at the top, her legs shake at how far away the ground looks.

the lifeguard gives him a nod, and tendou twists around to shoot her a double thumbs-up. "see ya' on the other side!"

"don't make it sound like we're going to die, please."

throwing his head back in a cackle, he grips the bar at the top of the tube, launching himself into the darkness.

peeking over the edge, she watches as he eventually flies out, his limbs waving spastically. a moment passes and he breaks through the top of the water, giving his hair a shake to rid the excess. he cups his mouth to shout in her direction, "THAT WAS FUCKING AWESOME!"

while smiling at his encouragement, she gets the green-light from the lifeguard. nervously sitting on the plastic, she notices the running water slicking the material is ice-cold, basically urging her to just _go_.

squeezing her eyes shut, she gives herself a scoot with her hands, screaming once the rapid, downwards descent begins.

the curve of the slide knocks her from side-to-side, the sheer lack of light making her question whether she actually opened her eyes or not.

upon realizing that she's still alive, her shrieks of terror mould into fits of laughter. going around what feels like one last bend, the exit appears. the orange rays of the setting sun get closer and closer until she's suspended in the air, succumbing to the freezing depths once more.

* * *

by the time it's almost dark, they decide to join the others in the cabins.

they travel together until it's time to split at the bathhouse trail. waving, y/n separates from tendou. "be back in a minute!"

cicadas begin to chirp loudly, a few bats zipping around the magenta sky between the treetops.

soon, the building is in her sights. the fluorescents shine through the openings, guiding her like a boat to a lighthouse.

waving away the gnats and moths attracted to the light, she distractedly peers down at the clothes in her hands.

just as she's approaching the entrance, she goes statue-like when a certain noise graces her ears.

"ah, _f-fuck._ "

her mouth goes dry.

who the fuck is moaning in the bathroom?

if she listens closely, she can hear grunts and a few other noises she would not like to describe as well; there's definitely something going on in there.

stomach sinking, her entire face burns like wildfire. thoughts start racing in her head, body twitching as she debates on what to do.

does she go in? no, that would be weird. should she leave? maybe the boy's bathroom is empty—?

it goes quiet. shortly after, she hears one of the sinks running, followed by the sounds of nearing footsteps.

her eyes bulge. internally, she screams at her legs to just move— move, move, _move!_

stopping right in front of her, just as shocked as she is, is some girl she's never met before.

"oh. um," the girl mutters as they stare at each other uncomfortably long. her hair looks like she did a very bad job at covering up the fact that fingers were just knotted in it, her lips slightly red, and cheeks pink.

just when she thought it couldn't get any more humiliating, oikawa appears over her shoulder, too busy meddling with his shorts to notice her.

bumping into the other girl, his eyes shoot up, darting from the back of her head to y/n.

his skin is tinted a bit, a layer of sweat causing his bangs to stick.

immediately, his eyes widen— wider than she's ever seen them.

"i..." she mumbles, “i'll just go change... somewhere else." tossing a thumb back, she turns and speed-walks away, face ghostly pale.

when she's a safe distance, as in no longer visible from the bathhouse, she chews her lip. her footwear slaps loudly from frantic steps, body going on autopilot while she’s busy in her mind.

the one rule she managed to catch on the first day keeps replaying: _"any inappropriate behavior is prohibited on campgrounds, and will result in an automatic disqualification!"_

she just caught oikawa.

unless they make exceptions for blowjobs, she just found a way to get him sent home.

* * *

opening the cabin door a little more roughly than she planned, she stands rigid in the doorway. a lantern bought from the trading post illuminates half the room in warm light, the only few inside being juju, tendou, and a sleeping ushijima.

tendou sits up in his bed, laying the book he was reading on his chest. "y/n? what the hell?" he eyes her up and down. "why are you still in your swimsu—"

"i have to snitch."

he squints. "what?"

walking in and closing the door behind her, she sets her pile of clothes on the floor. "i-i... who do i tell? who do i go to about sexual relations on the campgrounds?" she rambles.

"what? i have no id—"

juju's head pops up from her bunk, brows low. "wait, you want to do _what_?"

"i caught oikawa in the bathhouse with a girl. who do i—"

"oh, no, no, no. you don't want to do that." she props herself up on her elbows.

cutting y/n off as she tries to speak again, she continues,

"last year— or maybe it was the one before, i don't remember— there was a girl that tried to get another girl disqualified for the same thing. except, because she couldn't prove it, they marked it down as a petty scheme and _she_ got sent home instead."

processing her words, y/n's shoulders slump slowly, staring in dismay. her lip bobs, but she can't come up with a way to argue.

juju puts her hands up defensively. "look, all i'm saying is that it looks really bad if you try to report someone from another team like that. honestly, it only really matters if they get caught by a counselor or something."

"...dammit!" she whines disappointedly.

tendou reaches over and lightly smacks her with his book. "y'know, i get you hate the guy and all, but snitching is kind of lame." he cocks his head, raising a brow. "that doesn't even sound like you."

frowning, she realizes the truth in what he's saying. she's never resorted to something so childish before— perhaps she just got too strung up in her abhorrence.

smiling that signature, lazy smile of hers, juju adds, "i think being the one to break their winning streak would be so much more badass." her legs swing idly off the edge.

y/n’s mouth goes agape in thought. after a second, she reciprocates the gesture, breaking out into inspired laughter. she relishes in the idea of a broken, defeated oikawa watching as she lifts the kumatiki cup as her own; the person he thinks so little of stealing it away from him. what’s more perfect than that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lets get it started in here folks 🕺✨


	5. Chapter 5

the camp bugle plays over ibis's speakers, waking them before the sun has even fully woken itself.

everyone groans and rubs at their eyes, some rolling over and cursing at the sound to stop.

y/n stretches, brushing her hair out of her eyes. slipping shorts over her legs, she steps down the latter and gathers her outfit for today.

while the others reluctantly leave their beds to prepare for the activity, she grabs her toothbrush, heading for the spigot across from the cabins.

the metal lever pulls up with a squeal, water spilling into the dirt and leaves. wetting her brush, she stands in her flip-flops and pajamas, filling her mouth with white foam.

spitting the wad, she leans over and rinses. just as she goes to push the lever down, her shirt is snatched roughly from behind. being spun around, a tree meets her back.

in front of her, oikawa has his fingers dug into her collar, stretching the fabric in his grip. he looks like he's already put himself together for the day, red rings of exhaustion around his eyes. how long has he been up?

"who did you tell?" he hisses, continuing before she can reply, "i swear if you fucking told someone—"

as a trained response, she becomes paralyzed from fear, but the longer she stares at his twisted features, the more her upper-lip curves into a snarl. did he come out here just for this? maybe it's the lingering frustration from last night, but a boiling, explosive need to shout back fills her being.

wrapping his wrist with shaky hands, she furrows her brow. "nobody! i'm not going to tell anyone, you idiot!" she spits in the same, hushed volume.

pausing, oikawa's face slowly switches from hostility to confusion. disregarding her tone for the time being, he questions if he misheard. the tightness of his fist loosens, eyes narrowing. "...what?" he mutters suspiciously, head inching away. “why?”

at the drop in energy, she suddenly realizes the disadvantage of her physical position. it's like her defensive mask crumbles— the mask of adrenaline. she's thrown headfirst into reality, fast enough to shock her out.

"d-do you really think i care that much?" she sputters, lying. the venom laced in her words has noticeably faltered now.

his gaze trails her up and down, cogs visibly spinning in his mind. the silence is suffocating as he searches for the real reason. then, like it's the only plausible motive he can come up with, he speaks in all seriousness, "i'm not going to fuck you."

y/n stills. the whites of her eyes expand, body temperature rising as she studies him in disbelief. _does he seriously_ _think...?_ with a shake of her head, her features harden. "what the hell are you talking about?!" her hand balls up to smack him in the chest repeatedly. "let me go! let me go right now!"

after a moment of struggling, he frees her without a word, watching as she huffs away with flustered growls.

coming from the cabins to brush his teeth as well, tendou does a double-take while passing her. looking to the spigot, he sours at the sight of oikawa.

they exchange glances before oikawa scoffs, walking back in the direction of his own unit.

* * *

today's activity: rock climbing with ibis and leo.

the two groups stare up at the sizable, lone rock wall, a harness hanging from the platform at the top. the counselor grabs it and explains how it works before moving on to how points will be decided.

“rock climbing is one of the camp’s _equal_ _opportunity_ _activities_ ,” he says slowly, just to make sure everyone hears. “this means that you will not being going against each other here. if you and all of your teammates make it to the top in time, your team will get five points.”

he walks back and forth between the two teams, using his hands while he speaks. “you’ll go in pairs. if you make it to the end, you stay up there until the activity is finished so you don’t interfere. it won’t take long.”

stopping between the groups, he folds his arms behind him. “everybody understand that?”

once they give their assurance, he dismisses them so they can gather their gear.

as y/n steps under the pavilion to grab a helmet that fits, the counselor speaks again, louder this time. “oh, and keep in mind that _any_ kind of foul play is not allowed. keep your hands to yourself!”

her eyes flicker to the back of oikawa’s head. she wonders if they had to start enforcing that rule after one of his previous years.

the first two to go are tendou and iwaizumi. they stand a few feet apart in front of the wall, waiting for the sound of the buzzer. a different worker checks their harnesses one last time, giving the other man a thumbs-up.

“you have two minutes!” the counselor announces before playing the high-pitched noise, starting the timer in his hand.

they reach up onto the wall, gripping and releasing the colored pegs with haste.

both groups cheer and scream for their teammates, creating a nearly incomprehensible mix of voices. when both approach the top, they get even louder, filling with relief upon realizing their team is one step closer to snagging those points.

this cycle repeats until it’s y/n’s turn alongside some leo boy she doesn’t know. unfortunately, they’re the last ones to go, so they’re already fatigued from the heat.

anxiously, she waits for the signal, writhing her fingers at her sides in anticipation.

when the sound goes off, it’s like her body moves on its own. in her peripheral, she sees the boy beside her launch himself up without issue, visualizing a route like it’s second nature.

for y/n on the other hand, it isn’t so easy. it’s awkward, the path she takes making her body uncoordinated and slowing her down.

on top of that, there’s the overbearing july sun. with every peg she grabs, her hands sweat more.

surpassing her, the leo boy pulls himself onto the platform at the top, his team celebrating and praising him.

looking to her own, her vision fogs some. quickly blinking away the haziness, she sees them all staring down at her with worried expressions, urging her onward.

with heavy, slow breaths, she reaches for another, and another. eventually, she nears the finish, but as she tries to focus on the next one, she can’t seem to place her hand on it. why does it keep moving?

furrowing her brow, she stretches up on her toes in attempts to grab it. as she does so, the tip of her sneaker slips, her arm not strong enough to support her weight.

replacing the harsh recoil of the harness catching her, she feels a warmth wrapping around her forearm instead.

opening her eyes, she sees a strong, tanned hand holding her up. following the source of the limb, she squints, certain her mind isn’t perceiving right.

the person pulled down with his stomach flat against the wooden deck, his calloused grip secured tightly around her skin, is iwaizumi hajime.

immediately, whistles from multiple counselor’s necks blare.

* * *

pushing through the doors of the staff building, oikawa tails after the rock climbing counselor, his arms flailing exasperatedly.

“come on, he didn’t know that counted! you can’t do that!” his voice tears through the air in desperation.

turning around with an irritated prick to his brow, the counselor stops abruptly. “listen, that’s just how the rules work. you’re not allowed to touch the other team— it doesn’t matter that he was helping her.”

with his lips in a tight line and nostrils flared, he goes to open his mouth again, but the man cuts him off.

“just be glad that neither team got the points, okay?” he huffs. “now, i’m going to have to ask you to leave, or you’ll be marked for harassment.”

with a heavy breath, oikawa’s eyes dart around the lounge, just now noticing the scene they’re stirring up.

he’s given many stares as he turns, fists by his sides. slamming the door behind him, he curses loudly outside.

getting up off the bench, iwaizumi follows as he walks the path to their unit, not commenting on how he doesn’t bother to slow down for him.

“what’d they say?” he mutters.

instantly, oikawa stops in his tracks, spinning to face him. “that you’re a goddamn moron!”

brows furrowing deep, iwaizumi’s mouth drops open. his eyes trace his features as if looking for a hint of a joke. “you can’t seriously be mad at me for this.”

“uh, _yeah_ , i am,” he laughs bitterly. “you cost us those points, and for what?!”

volume raising to match oikawa’s, his forehead creases. “come on, you know that shit was unfair!” he tosses his arms out at his friend’s lack of understanding. “she went to the med ward because of heat exhaustion for god’s sake!”

“that’s not our problem!” he steps closer, hissing. “she’s not our teammate, she’s not our friend, and she is _not_ our problem!”

“but she doesn’t have to be our enemy, either!”

the argument silences.

they glare at each other for a long moment before oikawa speaks again, quieter. “so you suddenly care about her now?”

exhaling, iwaizumi’s shoulders relax. “i’ve never been a part of whatever’s between you two.”

face falling in surprise, oikawa scoffs. “do you think _she_ thinks that? do you think that if she heard some of the things you say about her, she’d feel that way too?” backing away and shaking his head, he throws a dismissing hand behind him before leaving. “make up your fucking mind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> imagine i just ended it on the last chapter cuz she snitched and he got sent home 💀 that wouldve been funney i think 🕴


	6. Chapter 6

a cool, morning breeze blows through the canopy, splattered light shining through the breaks of leaves.

the three units lug their way up the slanted ground, crunching dried foliage beneath their boots. y/n reaches around to her backpack pocket, fingers gripping onto a water bottle.

she holds the blue, cylindrical plastic in her hand, watching the half-drank liquid swish as she rotates it.

the nurse told her she needed to have it with her more often, as she hadn't been drinking much in the last few days. so, even though she's not really thirsty, she raises it to her lips, letting the lukewarm sensation travel down her throat.

next to her, kuroo has separated from his own unit to be at her side. her eyes flit to his profile, picking up specks of sun in her irises. "did you have an activity yesterday too?" she closes the lid on her bottle, sticking it in its spot again.

he breaks his gaze from the dirt, raising his brows before realizing what she said. "ah, shit, you just had to ask?" he half-jests, wearing a gentle smile.

she laughs, mouth popping open slightly. "what?" they put the conversation on pause to step over a boulder. "what happened?"

his fingers drum over his backpack straps once, thumbs tucked beneath them comfortably. "we got our asses handed to us, that's what."

"really?" her brows knead over a saddened grin, pitying them some. their luck hasn't been the best so far.

"yeah." he smacks a branch away. "i think equus beating us was just luck, but i've started taking ursa more seriously now." his lips purse. "i'd watch out for them."

waiting for leo to walk over the shaky, rope-bridge ahead, she tilts her head. "you're still at zero?" she hasn't gotten to look at the points-board over the last couple of days— it keeps slipping her mind somehow.

kuroo nods.

"that really sucks." her teeth rake in her bottom lip. "there's still time, though," she adds, sending him a reassuring look.

as he motions for her to go first, she takes a step onto the bridge, palms tracing the suspended rope.

"yeah, i don't know. this just might not be our year,” he mutters by her shoulder, following closely.

making a noise in her throat, she peers forward. "well, at least you're not a dickhead about it." her gaze studies oikawa's broad back, remembering how tendou said he acted yesterday when the counselor called foul; he commented that he probably would've swung if the guy wasn't wearing that tan uniform, which made her laugh at the time. though, giving it some thought, she's never actually seen oikawa so temperamental before.

he's always been an asshole of course, but in high school, he was more cool and calculating— an interior of his she still believes exists, just taking a different shape. it seems like something has been increasingly pissing him off lately, causing the concealment of his more shameful side to chip away like porcelain.

realistically, the cause is probably her— but that's just something she can't fully understand.

when she tells you there is no treacherous history between them, believe her.

perhaps he's made up some reason to justify his hatred for her in his head. maybe he enjoys it. maybe he doesn't need a reason.

in the end, he's just another enigma she doesn't want to get close enough to to figure out.

literally.

on the other side of the ravine, tendou shrieks, causing everyone in the vicinity to jump. she turns in his direction, finding him kneeling by the edge of a rocky cliff.

approaching, he spins around before she can say anything. "y/n, look what i found!" he scoots to the side, revealing a green succulent. "a cactus!"

her brow perks. "a cactus?"

"yeah, cool isn't it?" he observes its round, prickly edges. "i've never seen one in person."

"sure," she answers quickly, stepping closer. "but why did you scream?"

pulling his hand from the resting spot on his knee, he sticks his finger in her face. "i touched it. on accident."

she leans in close to see the sprinkle of blood dripping from his fingertip. her eyes roll, lips pulling into a straight line. talk about an overreaction.

behind them, the counselor leading the hike announces that they'll be moving on soon. his brows raise. "hey, get my picture with it, will you?"

she doesn't even bother questioning why he wants a picture with a cactus.

dropping one of her backpack straps and twisting the bag sideways, she sifts through it, pulling out a yellow polaroid camera.

getting in position, he waits until she drops the object from her eye to move.

with a click, an image is spat into her palm.

he hurries to her side, peering over her shoulder at the results.

on the paper, tendou's squatted down beside the plant, an arm hovering around the back of it like it's a good friend of his.

he grabs it from her, nodding while opening his own bag. “mhm, that’s a keeper.”

she scoffs playfully, stuffing her camera away. “alright, we better get going before they ditch us.”

reuniting with the rest of the group, they continue their leisurely trek through the wilderness.

during this time, y/n bears witness to tendou and kuroo’s shenanigans. they hadn’t really spoken much until today, though she reckons they’re getting along well. they’re so different but alike simultaneously, watching them interact is like observing the same species from different planets be introduced.

when they walk by a field of tall, beige grasses, the counselor suddenly brings everybody to a stop.

raising their voice so they’re heard, they start, “now, some of you may have already read about this,” they gesture to a cave on the other side of the field, mosses and vines hanging from the entrance, “but for those of you that didn’t, this right here is what has been called _lucille’s cave_ —“

tendou pauses, placing a hand on y/n’s shoulder. “no way, i totally forgot about this place,” he says lowly, recalling seeing an article about it online.

her brows furrow. “what is it?” she asks curiously, kuroo leaning in as well.

“there’s a legend about it. two hikers got lost here once, and at some point they were looking for shelter. when they found this cave, one of them— lucille, went in while her friend looked for firewood,” he mutters, “but when the friend came back, lucille was gone. not a single trace of her was left, and they never found her again.”

y/n looks back to the hollow, deep hole in the mountainside. “that’s terrible...” she frowns.

“yeah. now they say that she haunts it, and if you go in there after midnight, you’ll disappear too.”

kuroo laughs, quietly enough to not disturb the speaking counselor. “oh, come on, that doesn’t even make sense. if she haunts the place, then she would’ve died in there, but you said they never found a body.”

“you don’t believe it?” y/n glances over at him, anxiously picking at her cuticles.

“no. it’s a load of bullshit.” he shakes his head, reassuring her.

turning to the two, tendou’s mouth curves into a plotting smirk. bouncing his eyebrows, he looks around once before whispering, “well, there’s only one way to find out.”

* * *

the hiking trail makes a full circle back to the camp, returning the groups to their units with aching limbs. roughly dropping her backpack to the cabin floor, y/n crawls up into her bed, pulling the blankets over her head to shield her from the setting sun.

tendou enters shortly after. instead of sliding into their bunk, he pulls out the polaroid from earlier. rummaging through his nightstand, he finds a marker, popping the cap off and holding it between his teeth while scribbling on the photo.

peeking out from under the covers, y/n rolls over to the edge, watching the top of his head as the smell of permanent marker fills her nostrils. “what are you doing?” she mumbles.

after writing a title and date on the bottom, he sticks it back into his bag. “just making sure i have some memories to keep.”

her groggy eyes follow him as he walks across the room, floorboards creaking while he goes to hang the backpack up. “y’know, you should bring your camera with us when we explore that cave.”

she groans. “ugh, you really still want to do that?”

“hell yeah.” he spreads out on his mattress, arms resting underneath his pillow. “imagine if we got a picture of a ghost. we’d be so rich.”

“but it’ll be scary...”

leaning over on his side, he grabs the book he’s been reading off the floor. “don’t be silly. i could definitely take a ghost.” she hears him flip through pages. “plus, you and kuroo will be there as backup, just in case her ghost is like, super jacked or something.”

laughing at his dumb comments, she rubs her palms over her eyes in preparation to sleep. “oh, shut up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hellooooo. uhhh just wanna say that i might not post tomorrow or the day after cuz of christmas 🌝 or maybe i will idk it just depends on if i find time to write or not lol. but also sorry not a lot happens in this chapter i feel like there needs to be a balance tho yk like crazy stuff cant be happening ALL the time 😤 yall better get ready for the next chapter doe im excited for it fr fr
> 
> * ALSO NO this fic is not taking a random horror/mystery route LMFAO dont worry


	7. Chapter 7

inside the dining hall, all five teams sit at their tables in silence.

everyone listens intently to the information being given, their eyes following the counselor at the front of the hall.

y/n chews her lip. apparently, tonight is one of the most important of the month— the night to celebrate the end of the first week.

even the staff workers stand by quietly, clearly taking this as seriously as the campers are.

the counselor, who happens to be the same man that explained the rules on the first day, walks around beneath the bright, overhang lights. "—the game is called flashlight tag," he announces loudly. "which is an all-teams-event, meaning every team will be on the field."

he beckons the games girls forward.

the two hold a type of vest in their hands. "this is the runners' chest piece," he explains, the girls holding the material in the air to see. the front has straps that go over the shoulders, a clip securing them together in the middle. when they rotate it, it appears more solid in the back. he gestures to the round button in the center, a ring circling it. "this button is what the taggers will be after—" he taps it with his fingers, the ring illuminating a deep red to indicate the runner is out. "—that, and the chip." in the front, he reaches into a small pocket where the runner's left shoulder would be. pulling out a circular, kumatiki-branded chip, he raises it toward the crowd. "do _not_ forget the chip, taggers," he states warningly.

on a table to his right, there's two buckets of flashlights beside each other. "the runners will grab a chest piece and a white flashlight. taggers, you'll take a red flashlight and a running bag for chips. lights have to stay on if you are moving— however, they're allowed to be off if you are hiding or standing still. remember though, they turn back on automatically after three minutes."

squinting, y/n tries to retain the game rules, her mind a jumbling mess. noticing, tendou nudges her with his elbow. "don't worry. i'll remember everything," he whispers by her ear.

looking over, she gives him a thankful smile.

the games girls bring over a hat, shuffling around its contents once before handing it over. "your positions will be determined by drawing names. first, the runners—"

reaching inside, the small, rectangular slips of paper move around his grasp. the first one that's pulled is, "equus."

the next, "ursa."

and lastly, "lupus."

the three units rise, heading to the front of the hall to gather their equipment. y/n's lips tighten into a fine line, realizing that the only two left are leo and ibis. her gaze drifts back to oikawa, eyes narrowing. he looks ahead straight-faced and obliviously, seemingly unfazed by the overwhelming event. she supposes it only makes sense, as he must've done it before.

she tries to take that as a sign to quit being so anxious.

"leo and ibis, our taggers, please come get your things."

as the others wait by the door, the final units step up, grabbing their flashlights and joining them.

"now, as far as winning goes: if the taggers end up with the most chips, they get ten points. if the runners have more, they get five points." he clasps his palms together, continuing quickly before the complaints start, “i'm sure you can all understand why the points are divided like that. tagging is no easy task— but it has its rewards."

disregarding his slightly disheartening comment at the end, y/n figures it's a good time to take a peek at the points-board.

LEO - 5 PTS

IBIS - 5 PTS

URSA - 10 PTS

EQUUS - 5 PTS

LUPUS - 0 PTS

when her eyes trail down to ursa, she does a double-take. the last time she checked, they were at zero— was their previous activity worth ten points? how could kuroo have neglected to tell her that?!

she can't even imagine how pissed off oikawa was when he noticed, let alone how pissed off he is at _her_. if the rock climbing activity went as planned, he wouldn't be falling behind right now, and she has reason to believe he blames her for that.

hopefully, he'll channel that energy into winning, she thinks. though, effort will definitely be needed from all taggers, so she reckons she better kick it into gear as well. he might just strangle her if they lose this one too.

"alright," the man speaks again. "please follow your designated counselors to your starting points."

a girl in uniform steps in front of ibis, introducing herself as the one that will be leading them. after waiting for the others to step into the chilly, nighttime air, they trek out under the overhang.

y/n watches each team head off in separate directions, presuming how vastly spread this game will be across the camp.

they follow their counselor down a road to the right, the path just visible under the white of the full moon. towards the end, there's an empty, gravel parking lot for golf karts and ATVs.

stopping there, the girl pulls them into a huddle. "okay," she starts, "you guys have an hour to win this. every couple minutes, the amount of time you have left will be called on the speakers," she points up to a telephone pole across from them, a set of speakers at the top. "they're all over camp— and very loud, if you haven't already noticed. there's really no way to miss the calls."

the group nods, anxious to start. she smiles, giving them all a thumbs-up. "i'm betting on you guys to win!" she winks. "don't let me down, okay?"

"got it," they respond, watching as she walks back towards the dining hall.

a high-pitched squeal emerges from the speakers, static following. then, a voice appears, "countdown to flashlight tag starting... now," he pauses before continuing, "ten, nine, eight..."

tendou shakes his hands about in anticipation. "jeez, do they have to make this so nerve-racking?" he clicks his flashlight on and off repeatedly.

"seven, six, five..."

"i know," y/n glances behind her at the trees. "i feel like i'm in the hunger games or something."

"four, three, two..."

the entire team flickers their flashlights to life.

"—one. good luck everyone." the speaker cuts out.

* * *

the team walks down a trail by equus and lupus's units, their shoes padding rhythmically in the dirt.

suddenly, the same squealing noise from earlier erupts throughout the campgrounds. it echoes in the distance, a slight delay from the ones beside them where the cabins are. "thirty-five minutes," the announcer mumbles before disappearing again.

throwing his arms in the air, tendou stops the group. "okay, what the fuck?!" he groans frustratedly. "how have we not been able to tag _one_ person since we started?"

"i don't know..." y/n stares at the ground, dumbfounded. they've seen plenty of lights— they just never seem to get any closer. surely, the game is restricted to only the campgrounds, of which they've walked almost every perimeter.

it goes quiet for a moment, then ushijima hums. "they're avoiding us."

"obviously." tendou rolls his eyes. "but this shouldn't be so hard. i mean, we all have flashlights for god's sake, we can see exactly where they are!" he whines.

ushijima lifts his flashlight, rotating it in his hand. "exactly. we're like a red beacon."

everyone turns to him, brows lowering. "what?" y/n tilts her head.

"we're traveling in a group, so we're easy to spot. they see us coming, and they go in the other direction," juju adds. "it's impossible to approach anybody like this."

tendou squints. "so we should split up then?"

they all nod except for y/n.

"split up?" she mutters, frowning. "what if i don't do well on my own?"

placing a hand on her shoulder, tendou raises his brows. "it's our only chance at winning. we have to."

she opens her mouth, but when she glances at everyone again, it pops shut. they're right.

deciding on which directions to go in, they make sure to stay far enough from each other to cover almost every corner of the camp.

y/n gets sent off towards a section of woods. once inside the greenery, she realizes that she's near the waterslide lake, seeing the moonlight reflecting off the water through a bush.

turning off her flashlight, she sits and waits for someone to come near. luckily, it isn’t long before a white speck walks down the path.

as they come closer, she shuffles behind a tree and some plants, covering herself from their light.

when her target’s back is turned, she jumps out into the open with a thrashing of leaves, barreling towards the figure.

much to her surprise, they hardly make any attempts to avoid the ambush. other than taking a step back in shock, they're statue-still. it's strange, but she doesn't bother stopping to question it.

just as she reaches her hand out, a red light appears in her peripheral seconds before she's tackled to the ground.

they fall heavily into the grass, her attacker hovering over her.

now, the runner flees, taking off down the trail.

y/n groans in pain, a throbbing spreading through her head and back. "ugh..." she writhes.

the assailant’s flashlight was flung from their grasp during the impact, resting an arm's length away. at the sound of her voice, they mutter, "wait—" before quickly reaching for the object.

as they shine the beam directly into her face, she lifts her forearm to shield her eyes. "ah—!"

_"y/n?"_

instantly, their identity becomes clear.

he sits up on his knees, cradling her legs. with an irritated huff, oikawa scoffs. "oh, of course!” he laughs angrily. “i should've known you'd try to pull some stupid shit like that!"

after slowly recuperating, she squints. "oikawa? what the— why—?"

"the next time you try to _fucking cheat_ , make sure there aren't any cameras around!" he motions exasperatedly in the direction of a tree. peeking over, y/n spots a night vision camera strapped to the trunk— one they must've put there for the event.

glancing up at him again, her features harden. "i wasn't cheating!"

"then why wasn’t your flashlight on, genius?!” he grabs the item where she left it on the ground, showcasing it mockingly.

face drooping in realization, she suddenly goes quiet. he's right, she remembers. the light has to be on if they're moving.

"did you seriously come to this camp just to sabotage shit?" he throws it down right beside her head, missing her by centimeters. as soon as it hits the turf, it illuminates again.

mouth falling agape, she shakes her head repeatedly. "n-no! no, i didn't mean to leave it off!" she props herself up on her elbows, fingers curling in the grass. "i just forgot!" how could she be so stupid? it's such a simple rule— if anything, she's glad oikawa stopped her.

peering down at her, his chest heaves a few times. it looks like he debates on reprimanding her further, but he ultimately decides against it. "... whatever." he sighs, rising to his feet.

y/n hastily gathers herself behind him, wiping herself clean of dirt. she expects him to walk away immediately, but when he doesn’t, she gets a bad feeling. what’s he about to do?

after a moment, he clears his throat. "... did you see any other taggers on the way here?"

she warily picks up her flashlight, checking to make sure it didn't break anywhere during the fall. "um... no."

as if he was hoping she’d say _anything_ else, oikawa tosses his head back, closing his eyes for a minute. he lets out a groan in preparation for something he really, _really_ does not want to do. "dammit."

staring at his back, she blinks, noting how strangely he’s behaving. just as she contemplates sneaking away, he mutters, "i need your hel—“ stopping, he rewords, “uh... come with me."

* * *

she never actually thought she'd be here, helping oikawa tooru of all people. truly, their drive to win must be stronger than their hatred for each other.

for now.

they walk through a small field, heading in the direction of a group of lights. he explains that he's been watching this group for quite some time, but they're too hard for him to get close to alone.

still a good length away, they stop, kneeling by a rock with their lights off.

"they've been sticking together this whole time. the only reason they haven't been tagged yet is because they've got this guy keeping watch." he points to an orb of light moving on the other side of the trees. "he’s the one you tried to tag earlier. every time he sees a tagger, he tells the others and they move away.”

he pauses, listening to the sound of one of the team members shouting obnoxiously in the distance.

"i think it's ursa— i can tell because of how loud that bokuto prick is. stupid, cocky bastard."

y/n raises a subtle brow, side-eyeing him. takes one to know one, she supposes.

chewing her cheek, she narrows her eyes. "...so, what do you need my help with, exactly?" she mumbles. it feels painfully awkward talking to him like a normal person, almost like it’s not physically possible.

he doesn't respond.

"um—?" her head tilts.

"what do you think?"

she goes quiet, and he lets out a long, deep breath. "i don't know what to do,” he reluctantly admits.

looking forward again, she rests her palms on the cold, jagged surface of the rock. "why not just tag the one surveying?"

"you think i haven't thought of that yet?" he hisses. "that’s the whole problem—there's nowhere to sneak up on him. i don't know about you, but i'm not a fucking track star." he doesn't break his gaze ahead while she shoots his profile a glare.

raking her bottom lip in, she ponders for a moment. then, it seems all too obvious—she even second-guesses herself, surprised that he couldn't come up with the idea on his own. "they're moving like a herd, aren't they?"

"what? i mean, yeah, but why?”

"well, that means that whenever one moves, all of them do, right?”

he nods.

"and whichever direction they go in is probably opposite of wherever they see a tagger." she turns to him, speaking with her hands. "so, if you hide on one side, and i come from the other, i can flush them towards you and you can tag them.”

squinting, he glances away once before shaking his head. he looks like he wants to argue, like he wants to come up with a reason to call her plan stupid, but he can't.

* * *

after discussing a few more of the intricate details, they put the scheme in action.

to avoid suspicion while walking to the other side of the field, oikawa takes a route outside the surrounding woods. when he's where he's supposed to be, he huddles down and prowls through the patch of trees, taking slow, steady steps. he keeps his flashlight pointed downwards to dim it until he finds a good sitting spot, waiting for the cue.

the speakers come to life again, "ten minutes."

he scowls to himself. this is a risky move, but it's the difference between getting _ten_ chips or wasting all their time looking for _one_.

about a mile or so across from him, the red shimmer of y/n's flashlight comes into view.

without hesitation, she goes sprinting toward the guy keeping watch, footsteps pounding against the earth.

the watcher blinks as she approaches; her light on this time. despite being much too far for her to tag yet, he takes off to warn the team. waving his arms, he catches the distracted group's attention. "run! hey, run!”

they all turn to him, eyes widening when they see the beam of red chasing him.

laughing a bit, they push and stumble over each other in the opposite direction, clearly confident in their ability to not get tagged. "shit, shit—" they snicker. "go!"

getting tired halfway through the field, y/n brakes ungracefully. taking ragged breaths, her lips curve into a smirk, watching as the gathering continues running.

she has to hand it to them, their strategy was pretty solid. if it was only her here, they'd never be caught.

as they step into the woods up ahead, it goes silent. then, a genuinely frightened scream is let out as oikawa's flashlight turns on. "woah, what the fuck?!" one’s voice echoes as the others try to disperse. almost instantly, multiple red circles appear throughout the tree-line.

counting them, y/n drops down in relief, raising weak, triumphant fists in the air as she lays in the grass.

the taggers just got eight chips closer to winning.

* * *

by the time the event is finished, the announcer calls them all back to the dining hall.

dirty and exhausted, the units slump down at their tables, looking drastically different compared to earlier.

"welcome back, campers!" the man throws his arms out excitedly, though the crowd is too tired to match his energy. he ignores this, continuing, "we hope you all had a good time playing flashlight tag tonight. now, it's time to count the chips! when you go to put away your equipment, please drop your chips in the bowls on the table!” he gestures to the white, plastic table set up in the center of the hall.

y/n leans close to tendou, brushing off his nature-y scent. "how many did you get?"

"two," he whispers back. "you?"

"eight."

"oh, oka— wait, what?!" he refrains from raising his voice. "did you say eight?"

she nods nonchalantly, watching as the runners peel off their vests. "oikawa has them."

tendou blinks repeatedly, looking between her and oikawa before muttering, "what the hell...?" he shifts in his seat. "what are you talking—"

"taggers! return your items, please!"

the tagging units rise, forming a line to the front.

y/n studies the bowls. the runners definitely still have a lot of chips left, she notes. she can only hope that they gathered just enough to beat them.

when it's her turn, she places her flashlight with the rest, giving the chips one last glance. they're filled about fifty-fifty now. her stomach twists.

as she makes a circle back to her table, she locks eyes with oikawa, who only stares back blankly.

her leg bounces as she waits in suspense, fingernails digging at her own cuticles. the more she anticipates the end, the longer things seem to take.

eventually, the final tagger's chip falls from their palm. the piece clatters against the others below it, signaling the finish like a ring of a bell.

the games girls walk over to the table, a bowl for either to count from. the clock ticks as they remove each plastic circle, creating new, separate piles by their sides.

when the clear bowls are entirely see-through again, they step forward, facing the many onlookers with smiles.

y/n squeezes her fists together.

"this year's flashlight tag was very close!" one of them starts, followed by the other, "we almost had a tie, but the winners prevailed with a three chip lead!"

giving each other a look, they turn and announce in unison, "with that being said, our winners are... the taggers!"

the entire hall explodes into a mixture of sounds— a sudden burst of energy despite being so worn. the taggers jump from their seats and celebrate, the runners groaning in defeat.

while y/n has her head over tendou's shoulder in a hug, she catches sight of oikawa again, who's grinning and patting his team on the back.

in a brief moment of exchanging gazes, their smiles don't falter for once, the sour faces they usually give one another nowhere to be seen.

perhaps it’s just the high.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg this actually took forever LMAO but heres a longer one for yall. also as it goes the longer ones can be really hard for me to edit so if there are any mistakes or lackluster moments that i somehow missed i apologize ong 🏃


	8. Chapter 8

over the years, y/n’s learned how to read oikawa's body language— maybe not necessarily understand it, but she picked up on certain tells of his pretty fast, as forced as the learning process was.

like when that twitch of irritation sparks in his brow, or the way the corner of his mouth curls right before he says something stupid. little things like these tend to shine through any of his masks, no matter how well he swears he can wear them. more often than not, there’s some way to predict what he’s going to do next— some action that gives him away.

so today, when she perceives him like a puzzle she only has half the pieces to, she feels the small, measly portion of power she holds over him ripped from her grasp.

ice cream in hand at the trading post, she stares at the only available seat with her stomach in her throat. the table is entirely leo-clad, and she can't help but see a conniving pack of hyenas waiting for her to take the bait.

how she didn't see them before, she's not really sure. the post is crowded today, with the line extending out beyond the pavilion, so perhaps their identities got lost in the sea of people.

had she known she'd be in this situation five minutes ago, she would've called the date off with her choco taco and ran for the hills— she even considers sneaking away with it now, but the thought of getting in trouble with the window-lady again stops her.

besides, she _paid_ for this ice cream, who are they to say whether she enjoys it or not?

walking over stiffly, she sits on the corner of the wooden bench, treading lightly as she does so. she cringes as the object creaks under her weight.

thankfully, the one she has to sit closest to is iwaizumi— it’d actually be ideal if he wasn't there at all, but she prefers him over the others. compared to them, he's a saint.

parallel to him is oikawa, who has his elbow rested on the table for his head. he only sends her a short, absent glance before returning to his bag of chips.

that's strange, she thinks. it almost looks like he's ignoring her. not a single snide remark? not even a tightened brow?

something's off.

the misplaced peace only lasts a few seconds, as another on the end of those two catches sight of her.

cutting through the group's previous banter, a larger boy with black, tall hair leans forward to get a look in her direction. "hey, wait a minute, i know you."

y/n freezes. she recognizes him as her rock climbing partner— but she doesn't _know_ him, and he shouldn't know her either. he’s new, and she reckons they must’ve met him here at camp, as their friend group is usually pretty consistent.

due to his comment, any chances of her going unnoticed vanish into thin air. the whole table’s heads turn, waiting for her to speak. it feels like each gaze is an extra anchor around her heart, sinking it to depths more anxious than the last. glancing around, she realizes the only set of eyes missing is oikawa’s. he simply remains uninterested, digging into his snack while ogling a pair of girls walking outside the pavilion.

"w-what?" panicked, she swallows the chunk of ice cream in her mouth, struggling to get the half-chewed morsel down her esophagus.

he laughs, dropping his upper-body on the tabletop to see better. "you're the girl oikawa doesn't like. he had to stop you from costing us the game last night!"

y/n turns to him slightly, her lips parting in embarrassment. while debating on whether to respond or not, she figures it would be more awkward not to. "well... yes...” she trails off, desperate to come up with something to defend herself. “... but i don't think we would have won if that didn't happen, because we ended up helping each other after—“

"hold on, you 'helped' each other?" he interrupts loudly. snickers erupt on the other side of the table, helping her understand the implications of his childish jab.

immediately, her body goes hot. she looks to oikawa uneasily, expecting him to add something derogatory at her expense. instead, he rolls his eyes. "oh, kindaichi, fuck off," he mumbles, popping another potato chip into his mouth.

much to her dismay, his words are just fodder to fuel his teasing. invading oikawa's space to get closer, he brushes up against him to give her more of his attention.

oikawa's nostrils flare slightly, his brow ticking upward once.

"hey, i could use a little 'help' too, actually. how about it?" with a tormenting grin, he reaches his hand out for her own. she snatches it away so fast she almost falls off the bench, hiding it in her lap.

"n-no—" her voice comes out more pathetic than she planned, so quietly she fears he won't hear. as she’s about to repeat herself, he's met with a forceful elbow from oikawa that stops him momentarily.

_“quit,”_ he spits, using his body to push him back. there's a bit more warning in his tone now. "get off of me."

still stunned, y/n's eyes dart between the two. his friends have never initiated the antagonizing up until now. has another contender entered the ring?

even at the mere thought of having to put up with another oikawa makes her chest rise and fall rapidly. she can hardly deal with _one_.

forgetting her ice cream on the table, she hastily rises from her seat. as she's about to make her escape, kindaichi mimics her movements and reaches for her arm.

he leans over oikawa and iwaizumi's heads, yanking her back by her wrist. "oh, come on, everybody knows our team was the reason you got those points, don't we deserve something in return—?"

beneath him, oikawa's palms curl on the tabletop, his pupils contracting violently. standing to face kindaichi, he shoves him hard. "goddammit, i said knock it the hell off!"

he has no choice but to release her as he stumbles from the jolt, nearly tripping over his seat.

oikawa joins him on the other side of the bench, positioning in front of his figure.

recollecting himself and approaching again, kindaichi’s features harden. “what the fuck is your problem?!" he shouts in his face. "you know i was just messing around!"

"i don’t care! i told you to stop!" oikawa retorts.

at this, kindaichi scoffs. the others don’t react when he looks to them with raised brows. "who said i have to listen to _you_?"

foreseeing further escalation, iwaizumi puts a beckoning hand on oikawa's back. "hey! that's enough, both of you!” he attempts to snuff out the flames— mostly for oikawa's sake. it's no secret that kindaichi is one of the biggest of the group, making him someone even _he_ wouldn't want to provoke.

oikawa goes silent. y/n can only imagine what kindaichi sees, restricted to just the heaving of his shoulders and fingers twitching by his sides.

at first, everyone settles a bit, sure he’s considering backing down. then, out of nowhere, he lifts his fist in a sucker punch— a dirty move, but many would expect no less from oikawa. gasping, y/n flinches, watching as the taller boy staggers. he grips onto the table for balance, wiping the new stream of blood from his lip.

at this point, every head in the trading post has turned, stopping whatever they were doing to investigate the ruckus.

glaring up at him, kindaichi bares his teeth. if he wasn’t angry before, he definitely is now. "you little pretty-boy son of a bitch!" he snarls, hurtling forward with his own skin-splitting hit.

the remainder of leo rises from their spots, jumping out of the way as a brawl ensues. the onlookers rush over to get a better view, nearly knocking y/n to the ground. in the midst of it, she can hear one of the window-ladies screaming at the top of her lungs for them to stop.

it gets so packed that she can't even see them anymore, only picking up the awful, gut-wrenching sounds of the fight. shakily backing away, she hurries from the site, running down the steps towards her unit.

on the way, she tries desperately to piece together what the hell just happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kindaichi im sorry but ur an asshole in this fic too LMAO


	9. Chapter 9

water droplets slip down the clear umbrella, dripping off the ends and onto tendou's shoulder.

he holds it as cover for y/n, who lugs a hefty basket up the steps. as he assists in opening the creaky door to the laundromat, a low rumbling rolls through the darkened clouds above.

inside, they're met with dry warmth and the spinning of machines.

tendou pulls the umbrella shut, leaving it to sit by the door. he watches as she places the unit's dirty clothes in front of an open washer. "do you want some help?"

she shakes her head, already throwing the garments into the opening. "no, i got it. thanks."

humming, he walks to the bench on the other side of the room, splaying out on the red, flattened cushion. he rests both his hands over the back, turning to look at the rain running down the windowpane.

after a moment, he laughs to himself. "some luck oikawa and kindaichi have for it to rain the day after they get put on clean up duty."

sticking a quarter in the washing machine, she moves to fill another with the remaining, soiled clothing. "yeah, well, i'm sure they prefer this to being DQ'd," she speaks with her back turned. "that _is_ pretty lucky if you ask me."

he lets out a short chuckle before the single-room building goes quiet again. taking in his bottom lip, his brow furrows. "stupid fucks," he mumbles. "i hope they're freezing their asses off."

rubbing any leftover residue off her hands, she kicks the washer lid closed. as it snaps shut, she pops a bit of currency in the slot, lifting herself to sit on top while it fills with water.

"you done?"

"yeah." her legs swing idly over the edge. "do you want to wait until the rain lets up a little?"

"sure." with a shrug, he glances out the window again before something crosses his mind. "oh! hey—" his elbows drop to his knees, leaning forward. "when should we think about going to that cave?"

she lolls her head to the side, giving a click of her tongue. "i don't know— never?"

"i'm serious!" his eyebrows lift.

"i am too! what if we get caught?" she hops to the floor, the worn, outdated tiles whining slightly. "we could get in a lot of trouble, y'know."

sitting back once more, he waves a dismissing hand towards her. "c'mon, if oikawa and kindaichi can get away with going at each other's throats, i think the worst we'll get is a slap on the wrist." he rolls his eyes. "besides, we won't get caught."

"how do you know?"

"because i just know."

sighing and crossing her arms, she peers at her boots in debate. overall, it's a bad idea— absolutely zero pros. all cons. but, she's pretty sure tendou's judgement of good and bad got switched a long time ago. maybe a few wires were rearranged at some point, or maybe he's just got a serious case of defiant brain rot.

although, considering all of this, he _is_ experienced when it comes to doing whatever the hell he wants, far more than she is. so, she wonders if she should just trust his confidence and have a little fun.

when she meets his eyes again, an impish grin spreads across his face as if her thoughts are written on her forehead.

"how about tomorrow night?" he cocks a brow.

* * *

muddy boots tear through the terrain, sinking into the earth with each step.

as he reaches over, the wind blows beneath oikawa's poncho, sending beads of water with it. dropping the piece of trash in his hand, he lets out a short, high-pitched noise at the chilly sensation. cursing loudly, he spins around to face kindaichi. "this is all your fault, you loud-mouthed prick!"

with purpled, bruised eyes, kindaichi glares from under his own poncho hood. "shut up before i kick your ass again!" he shouts over the sounds of thunder. wincing, he pats the butterfly bandage holding his lip together, re-adhering it.

going rigid, oikawa shoots upright. "you're the one who got his ass kicked!" continuing his scan for litter, he angrily tosses another chunk of plastic into his bag.

"oh, yeah? says the guy who throws dirty punches!" kindaichi growls, grabbing a lost, muddied flip-flop and throwing it at him.

" _motherf_ —!"

"BOYS!" a woman inside the staff lounge slams the door open, using a hand to shield her hair from the rain. "less bickering and more work, please!" she calls before closing out the cold again loudly.

they go silent, turning away from each other and returning to their duties. the pitter-patter of the plastic over their backs becomes the only noise between the two.

after a moment, oikawa mumbles, “bitch."

grabbing a gum-wrapper, kindaichi shakes his head. “tell me about it."

* * *

once the sky opens up and lets those first rays through, the sun wastes no time in embracing y/n and tendou's shoulders, following them as they head to lunch.

in the dining hall, they make a stop by kuroo's table, telling him to meet at their cabin afterwards.

while waiting back at the unit, tendou stands on the porch outside, sucking on honeysuckle.

the treetops drip rhythmically, still wet from the downpour. deeper in the woods, wallowing in the moisture of fallen leaves, frogs chirp and sing cheerfully.

behind him, a squeak of hinges catches his attention. turning curiously, he sees y/n peeking out of the cabin.

“hm?” he grunts questioningly, vegetation in his lips.

a crease rests between her brows, gaze scanning the area around him.

“what?” he asks again, more audibly this time.

“have you seen my water bottle?” she murmurs. “i can’t remember where i left it.”

leaning against the pole of the overhang, he looks off to the side in thought. “i haven’t.” he chucks the plant from his fingertips. “that’s not good.” he notes, remembering what she said the nurse told her.

shoulders slumping, she exhales, “i know.”

“we can just share mine until you find it—“ he stops himself when he sees a head of black hair peek over the hill, followed by kuroo’s face. approaching with his hands in his jacket pockets, he calls over, “what’s up?”

once he makes his way closer, they exchange further greetings. as they establish their plan for tomorrow night, he sits down on the wooden porch, back hunched against the wall.

straight-faced, he picks the flower apart tendou gave him, more concerned with how to properly consume it than their plotting.

“we’ll meet by the bathhouse around eleven, ‘kay?” tendou looks to both of them, waiting for their reassurance.

y/n nods, but kuroo purses his lips. “you guys know this is going to be stupid, right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if u guys saw me post this before it was ready no u didnt 🔫 (i think my heart fell out of my ass im still looking for it) also sorry not much happens this chapter its literally just straight up vibes SORRY DJDKFN lol i didnt give myself very much time to write tonight my b 🏃🏃 it still has plot significance doe so


	10. Chapter 10

two hands nudge y/n's side, rocking her back and forth. inhaling sharply, she peels her sleepy eyes open, looking over to see tendou staring back at her.

remembering their scheduled adventure, she sits up in her bunk, moving slowly as to not rustle the fabrics too much.

through the small amount of moonlight, she sees him smile at her, coaxing her towards the ladder. she squints over at the others while making her way down, praying that they remain asleep.

she steps to the floorboards toe first, standing zombie-like while he chokes back laughter. upon further inspection, she realizes that he's already got a backpack prepared, slipping it on over his shoulders.

all she has to do is grab a jacket and her boots. following him outside, the song of crickets and cicadas amplifies, as does the toads croaking by the creek. stretching, she waits for him to close the noisy door behind him, attempting to silence the cheap object after every movement.

finally letting it latch, he spins around, striding off the porch excitedly. she moseys alongside him, looking like his polar-opposite.

they step down the gravel path, heading for the bathhouse trail. he peeks down at her, chuckling. "you know it's only like, 10:45, right?"

she takes her sleeve and rubs her eye. "i know, but i was dead asleep."

usually, she's pretty hardy when it comes to the late hours, but getting their butts kicked by equus earlier took quite the toll on her— who knew they'd be so good at badminton?

reaching over and patting her back, he guides her slightly-disoriented figure towards some stepping-stones. "this'll be worth it, i swear."

"if you say so."

near the top of the hill, the lights of their destination come into view. they illuminate the vicinity, including a small portion of the sky above.

standing between the bathroom entrances, their backs to the cold, hard wall, they wait for kuroo.

while she smacks gnats away from her face, he turns to her. "how long 'til we realize he's not gonna show?"

y/n furrows her brow. "he will. i know he doesn't seem like he wants to go, but he said he would." she stares at a centipede crawling over the concrete by her boot, shaking her head at the idea of kuroo flaking out. "he's not like that."

tendou hums. they continue in silence for a moment.

then, he mutters, "it sounds like you think pretty highly of him. i hope you talk about me like that."

without missing a beat, she responds, "i don't tell people i know you."

he jabs her with his elbow. "oh, stop it."

in the distance, a silhouette appears, becoming more recognizable as it treads further in their direction.

identifying himself once out of the darkness, kuroo sends a nod. "hey." he stops beside them, eyeing both up and down. before he can say anything else, his stomach grumbles. "oh, sorry. i always get hungry around this time. i brought a snickers, if you guys want some—" he reaches into his hoodie pocket, but y/n's gaze gravitates behind him. neither of the boys seem to notice the shadowed figure turning the corner of the building.

"um, did you bring somebody with you?" she mumbles, a little frightened. people hardly ever come to the bathhouse, did somebody follow him?

pausing, he glances up at her before narrowing his eyes. "uh, no—?" turning to wherever she's looking, he goes rigid.

with his body no longer obstructing their view, they can now see oikawa stopped outside their gathering, a confused twist to his features.

his eyes dart beneath lowered brows, trailing to tendou's backpack, the snickers in kuroo's hand, and the furtive stares they're all giving him. "...the fuck?"

as he stands by the doorway to the boys' bathroom, the fluorescents shine against his injuries. there's splatters of black and blue across his jaw, a purple ring beneath his left eye, and a large bandaid secured over his nose.

y/n grunts to herself. it's the first time she's seen him since the fight— and honestly, he looks like shit.

"... what are you guys doing?" he lifts his chin suspiciously.

breaking through the adrenaline from being caught, tendou takes a step forward. "we could ask you the same—" he attempts to redirect the conversation, but his mouth pops shut halfway. "... actually, i don't want to know what you're doing at the bathhouse at this hour," he adds quietly.

oikawa sputters in offense. "what the— i'm changing my bandage!" he shows his palm, revealing a small, cardboard box.

"at eleven o'clock at night?"

"i forgot to do it earlier, you dickhead!" he barks. "the old one's starting to peel off, so i have to!"

kuroo studies the three of them, trying to decipher just how— _why_ tendou and y/n know this guy. he's seen him around camp before, but he didn't seem like the type to ever cross paths with people like them. their shared traits are obviously few and far between, so what the hell could've brought them together?

"now, it's your turn." oikawa crosses his arms, his white and blue jacket creasing. "what are you guys doing out here?"

without hesitation, tendou answers, "we're going to lucille's cave."

"tendou!" y/n scolds. kuroo sends him a stunned glance, not sure if he should intervene.

surprisingly impassive, oikawa cocks his head to the side. he pauses in thought before remembering. "... from the hike? the cursed one?"

"haunted," tendou corrects him, and y/n yanks on his jacket for him to stop.

she watches as oikawa's dark irises land on her, then back to tendou. it's a subtle flit of the eyes, but she catches it. his jaw falls slack as if figuring out what to say, and then, "i'm coming with you."

her eyelids nearly split, followed by her body crying "no!" on instinct.

tendou glances over at her, lips tightening. she almost thinks he'll call the trip off, but what he says next makes her seethe.

"okay."

giving them one last scan for any signs of deception, oikawa nods, gesturing inside the bathroom. "give me a minute."

the second he heads inside, y/n punches tendou in the stomach repeatedly. "idiot! idiot! idiot! why would you do that?!"

he raises his hands in defense, blocking her blows. "hey, hey!" he shouts in a whisper. once she stops, he leans close, "if anyone has to disappear in that cave, i want it to be oikawa."

* * *

flashlights in hand, the group re-walks the hiking path from a few days ago. they follow the landmarks that lead the way, noting how different it all looks without the sun.

y/n holds her fists at her sides the whole time. behind her, she hears every step oikawa takes, and it makes her teeth grind.

she can only imagine the hell he's planning to unleash once they get there. he's probably plotting something awful right now— something terrible. tendou might've just accidentally assisted in her murder, for all he knows.

she grumbles at the thought. how could he do something like that? his motive didn't persuade her into being okay with it either— as much as she hates oikawa, she doesn't actually want him _dead_.

soon, they cross the bridge of the shallow ravine, taking just a few more winding turns before the stalks of the field become visible.

walking around the tall grasses to avoid itchiness, they approach the entrance to the cave.

the inside is dark, even with the shine of the flashlights. substance drips from stalactites on the ceiling, the sound extending far beyond where their eyes can see.

y/n freezes. instantly, she gets a really, really bad feeling.

there's something about the way the temperature drops before they even enter, the way the cold air seeps out and sends chills up her body as if saying _'stay_ _away_ '.

taking an unsure step back, she connects with something behind her, causing her to jump.

spinning on her heels, she sees oikawa, blank-faced. "watch it," is all he mumbles.

to her right, tendou swings the backpack off, dropping it to the ground. kneeling beside it and undoing the zipper, he grabs her camera.

holding it out, he waits for her to take it. "here."

slowly, her hand reaches for the item, encasing it in her grasp. for a moment, she contemplates asking to go back, but figures it's too late now.

kuroo walks up to the curtain of moss and vines hanging over the front, pulling some of it away. "jesus..." he peeks in. turning back to them, he speaks in all seriousness, "wouldn't it be fucked up if we were the ones to find that girl's bones or something?"

just the thought of finding a stack of human remains makes y/n's face hollow. "please don't say that..."

he shrugs. "i'm just saying."

over her shoulder, she feels a presence appear. "aw, is somebody scared?" oikawa's low voice materializes by her ear, his breath fanning her cheek.

she whines, waving a hand wildly like she's fighting off a mosquito. "stop it! don't act like you aren't!"

with that, tendou rests a palm over either backpack strap, sending the cave a grin. "well... shall we?" he gestures for the others to head in.

he and kuroo enter together, followed by oikawa close behind. they only trek a few feet before tendou points at a strangely organized pile of rocks. "ooh— hey, y/n! get a picture of this, will you?"

after a moment of no response, his brows furrow. "y/n?" he turns toward oikawa, who turns to see no y/n.

his shoulders slump at the sight of her still standing outside. "what the—?” he chews his cheek. “would you go get her?"

sighing, oikawa retraces his steps to the entrance. she lets out a frightened, partial scream as his hand breaks through the vegetation, gripping onto her wrist. "let's _go_ —" he mutters, yanking her inside.

putting his hands back in his pockets, he goes to reunite with the others. purely out of fear, y/n sticks to his back like glue, too scared to go off on her own for even a second.

she almost steps on his heels while making their way to the rocks. hastily, she snaps a picture, hoping it's not too shaky from the tremble of her hands. she doesn't even bother looking at the result before jamming it into the backpack.

as they move onward, the cave only gets darker, the bits of moonlight unable to reach them now.

the bright circles of tendou and kuroo's flashlights lead them to a small, trickling stream in the ground. tendou's light follows it down a second path on the left. "cool," he comments. "should we follow it?"

before anyone can reply, he walks off in that direction.

they all place a foot on either side of the running water, using it as a guide.

mixing in with the sound of the current, a hissing behind y/n makes her freeze. she questions whether it could’ve been her imagination, but when she turns to peek over her shoulder, she gets the feeling of being watched. “w-what the fuck...?" she whispers, voice cracking.

looking ahead, she finds that the rest of the group has been continuing without her. "g-guys—" she hurries to catch up, speaking over their conversation, “guys, did you hear that?"

while glancing around, her hand reflexively tightens on the end of oikawa's jacket. noticing her tugging, he stops, raising an arm to see her. "huh? ... hear what?" his brow furrows.

meeting his eyes, she immediately lets go. never in her lifetime did she think she’d resort to oikawa’s reassurance— but if he’s the only one that’ll listen...

“i don't know, it was like a hissing noise—"

a cackle breaks through kuroo’s restraint. "that was probably just tendou's ass."

laughter from all three boys echoes throughout the cave, even oikawa's snickers.

y/n stomps her foot at how easy it is for them to joke. she glares, her camera-less palm squeezing by her side. "i'm serious! i heard something!"

oikawa puts his hands in the air. "alright, alright, _shit_ ," he huffs, thinking for a moment. "i'll walk in the back."

he waits for her to go on, taking his new position behind.

after making it further into the cave, they realize that the interior hasn’t changed for a while— not the stream, not the path, nothing. it's like a never-ending, repeating tunnel, and soon they all start to feel uneasy.

"this is fucking weird..." tendou notes. "it just keeps going."

kuroo hums in response.

ears picking up on something shuffling in the dark, y/n flinches. she concludes that oikawa hasn't done anything to produce such a noise; he’s just staring ahead disinterestedly, his hands pocket-bound.

as her heart-rate picks up slightly, her mind lingers on the sound from earlier, wondering if it’s the same culprit. while scanning the area, she swears she sees a pair of glowing, white orbs returning her gaze.

her stomach sinks.

letting out a loud, reverberating whimper, she springs forward, accidentally bouncing off of kuroo.

from the push, he trips over his own foot, sending the flashlight in his hand flying. " _shit_ —!”

the object drops into the water with a splash, propping up against a stone.

just as he goes to retrieve it, a high-pitched squeaking arises from above. eyes widening, their heads slowly lift, following where the light illuminates.

they almost choke.

hanging from the ceiling is an endless horde of bats, extending through the cave for miles.

"oh my god..." oikawa whispers, daring to take a step back.

everyone else remains statue-still, unsure of what to do. kuroo’s gaze flits to tendou, who returns the same dumbfounded look.

then, the flashlight beam flickers from water damage, causing the animals to explode into a whirling, screeching cloud of black. they shriek just as the group does, high-tailing it for the exit.

their shoes get soaked as they carelessly run through puddles, flailing their arms to ward off the swarm. as they get closer to the end, tendou's flashlight lands on the raccoon that’d been tracking them. it chatters and hisses as they continue advancing. ignoring its warnings, they hurtle and dodge it without hesitation, wailing even louder.

ripping through the entrance’s foliage, they sprint into the safety of the field. close behind, bats come spilling out into the sky.

as the wispy stems bend and flatten under their strides, millions of fireflies rise into the air, creating an enormous, flickering trail in their footsteps.

once they reach a good distance, the lot finally stumbles to a halt. tendou falls onto his back, a hand resting over his pounding ribcage. kuroo drops to his hands and knees, oikawa doubling-over.

y/n's lungs burn as she stands with a hunch, legs trembling.

they recuperate in silence, completely shocked.

after a moment, through their combined, heaving breaths, they hear a spark of laughter. it starts off quiet, then erupts into something more uncontrollable.

quickly, y/n realizes that the sound isn't one that she's ever heard before. it isn't kuroo or tendou— but oikawa.

he's laughed, but he's never laughed like this. not in front of her. it’s usually laced with bitterness or paired with a domineering remark, only used as a method to make someone feel small. this time though, there's none of that. it's a real, jovial sound, one that is absolutely impossible to fake.

the three stifle the volume of their breathing, listening in disbelief. they pick up their heads, sending each other confused stares.

"you guys are absolutely fucking nuts,” oikawa suddenly speaks, barely able to get the sentence out.

the longer he goes on, the more their own mouths curl. bubbling fills their chests, and before they know it, they’re joining him— breaking out into a symphony of broken, giddy noises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> baby steps..... baby steps yall........... but anyway srry i didnt post yesterday i just ended up w some stuff to do and by the time the chapter was ready to edit it was really late 😩 also i feel like i should just post every couple days (like idk every 1-3 days) instead of everyday all the time ?? 🤔🤔 bc we’re getting more into things now and i dont want to rush it just so thats it ready in a day yk??? like i want it to be...... right. like POLISHED ✨
> 
> also also, we rlly bout to get into more y/n x oikawa action soon IM EXCITED hehe 🤸


	11. Chapter 11

after failing to make it to marathon for years, ursa screwed itself in being seen as a capable adversary. even this year, they were pointless for quite some time, almost ruining their chances before the games even started.

the other teams put them on the back-burner, the confidence in their eyes never faltering at the sight of them. this remained true even after they caught up, as the worst beating the worst wasn't an achievement worth noting. after all, whoever won only sucked that much less.

those that didn't need a ten-point boost continued to pay them little to no mind. some even joked that they'd still be at ten points come the end of the month.

so, when ibis learned they'd be going against ursa today, they took the news in stride.

y/n kneels to the cabin floor, tying up her laces. "does anyone know what activity we're doing today?" she asks the rest of the unit, who's also amid readying themselves. "i think i missed it or something..."

"puzzles." juju grabs the granola bar she bought at breakfast, jamming it between her cheeks.

a smirk burrows on y/n's face, letting an amused grunt slip. turning to her while sliding his shirt on, tendou cocks a brow. "what's so funny?"

she rises. "well, i haven't met ursa, but i've heard that at least one of them isn't very smart." she recalls the topic of bokuto's ignorance in passing conversation. it very well may have just been a rumor, but from her own observations, she can't help thinking it might be true. "and i mean, if the teams are put together according to personality, who's to say they're not all dumb?"

looking around once to make sure everyone's prepared, tendou goes to lead them outside. "i think it's actually determined on how well you'll cooperate with the others," he says while holding the door for them to pass through.

"and request," juju adds.

"and request," he repeats.

they begin trekking down the path together, their soles crunching against the gravel. the sun radiates strongly today, especially for such a youthful hour.

y/n shrugs, already feeling a layer of sweat accumulate over her skin. "stupid gets along with stupid, doesn't it?"

tendou raises his brows once in acknowledgment. "you might just be onto something." he takes a long sip from his water bottle, then wipes the nozzle with his shirt before offering it to y/n. "for our sake, i hope you're right."

she takes a swig and hands it back.

nearing the trading post, they note how empty it is, concluding it must be closed for the activity. a radio on the railing plays pop-punk as background noise, adding to the fan in the corner whirring.

stepping onto the deck, they greet the counselors and take seats at one of the tables. immediately, y/n realizes the opposing team is nowhere in sight. tapping her fingers on the wooden surface, she mumbles, "are we early?"

peering down at the watch on his wrist, ushijima replies monotonously, "no. they're late."

she purses her lips.

they sit in silence while waiting, listening to the faint sounds of guitars and drums. after a few minutes, they lift their heads at a group of voices approaching.

turning the corner, bokuto beams. "hey, hey, hey! it's go time, baby!" he exclaims over creaking footsteps, sliding into a spot at their own table.

shortly behind, the rest of his team follows. "it was 'go time' fifteen minutes ago," a black-haired boy with a withdrawn demeanor responds.

looking at his friend beside him, bokuto's brows knead upward. "ah, come on." he frowns. "you know i didn't make us late on purpose."

"it shouldn't be that hard for you to keep track of your underwear."

eavesdropping on the conversation behind them, y/n and tendou exchange questioning glances.

finishing the head-count, the counselor calls for everyone's attention. "okay, you're all here, great." she smiles. they quiet down at the sound of her speaking.

"so, in case you didn't know, we're doing puzzles." she clasps her hands together. "um, which probably sounds pretty lame, but we're under a heat advisory today, so we're not really allowed to do anything else..." with a cringe, she shrugs.

walking over and sitting on top of a stool, she continues, "anyway, to start, we're going to do some riddles. each one you get right will bump you closer to those points!"

leaning in while keeping her eyes ahead, juju hisses, "shit. i hate riddles."

tendou nudges her reassuringly. "don't worry. i'm pretty good at them."

the next couple of moments seem to exist only to prove him wrong.

with both teams huddled together, they repeat the counselor's riddle, their voices a hushed whisper. "i speak without a mouth and hear without ears. i have no body, but i come alive with the wind. what am i?"

pulling his hair downwards, tendou groans. "what the fuck?! these riddles are hard!" he twines the strands in his fingers.

y/n stares at the tabletop in concentration, eyes following the grooves of the wood idly. the more her mind draws blank, the more she understands tendou's irritation.

then, ushijima blinks. "an echo."

sitting up, the entire unit turns his way. "what? how is it an echo?" semi asks.

"an echo does all of those things."

he's nearly interrupted by a frustrated bokuto whining loudly, scratching at his scalp. "agh! i can't figure it out!"

checking with everyone one last time, y/n raises her hand in the direction of the counselor.

"ah! ibis?" she points to them with a grin.

"an echo."

both counselors clap, the one standing off to the left scribbling something on her clipboard. "yes! great job!"

ursa grumbles disappointedly.

"okay, are we ready to continue?" she grabs a new slip of paper from the plastic box. after letting her eyes scan the writing, she places the object to the side. "i have cities, but no houses. i have mountains, but no trees. i have water, but no fish. what am i?"

while y/n is just beginning to pick apart the tricky set of words, bokuto jumps to his feet, fists slamming on the table. "oh! a map!"

"good!"

ibis goes still, staring at each other in shock. even ushijima has the slightest lift to his brows.

"what the hell...?" juju glances back at their competition, perhaps for any signs of cheating. "how did he get that so fast?"

after a moment, tendou shakes his head. once his face moulds back to normal, he scoffs, "it was probably just a lucky guess."

moving on to the next riddle, the process is no different. the round ends faster than ibis can even understand the question, letting ursa get the jump on them.

"oh! oh! i know this one too!" he shouts. " _incorrectly_ is spelled incorrectly in the dictionary!" his fist rips through the air triumphantly when the counselor gives them the tally.

stumped, y/n sits with her mouth agape. how is he so good at this? contemplating, she wonders if it’s in the simplicity of his thoughts. really, that's what most puzzles require— for you to look past the false complications and realize that the answer isn't as complex as you make it. such a thing isn't easy for most, but if bokuto's brain functions on that level naturally, then of course he'd have the advantage.

her lips tighten, watching as he celebrates with his teammates. his ecstatic features never change, praising the others as if he wasn't the one that just pushed them ahead.

"he's so stupid that he's smart..." she mumbles, amazed.

* * *

the cabin door slams open, followed by a defeated, sweaty band of six.

tendou kicks his sneakers off, letting them tumble and smack into the wall. "i _cannot_ believe that just happened." he drops his empty water bottle on his bed, leaning down to dig through his nightstand.

"i know." juju wipes her sticky bangs away. "like, how did he know to take another match and burn the first one to the cup?" she scoffs, remembering one of the hands-on puzzles.

there were two cups with a match propped between them, a coin beneath one of the cups. the goal was to remove the coin without letting the match fall— and bokuto was just eccentric enough to figure it out.

"who thinks of that shit?"

tendou creates a pile of fresh, clean clothing. with the folded garments in his arms, he turns for the door. "yeah, that was bullshit." as he's sliding his flip-flops on, he notices y/n resting in her bunk. "hey, you're coming to shower too, aren't you?"

she lowers her notepad, putting her doodles on pause. "oh, yeah. it'll probably be packed right now though, so i'll just wait a little longer."

with a shrug, tendou opens the door. "alright."

after a moment, everyone in the cabin leaves for the bathhouse. alone, she sits in the quiet of the small building, occasionally hearing the sounds of someone passing outside.

her pencil scribbles against the page, drawing meaningless masses of flowers. while doing so, her mind trails back to earlier.

ursa definitely proved themselves today, revealing that a few bad runs didn’t mean their legs were broken. now that they're tied 15-15, she has reason to keep an eye out for them.

bokuto is a first-year camper, so he's had no hand in ursa's pathetic past. she questions if he's the one turning their losing streak around this time, and more importantly, if he'll be able to fully succeed in it.

interrupting her thoughts, a steady knocking on the door makes her flinch. "what the...?"

at first, she reckons it might be one of the others, but it’d make no sense for them to be knocking at the cabin— that's like knocking before entering your own house.

sitting up, she makes her way to the ladder. they pound their fist against the flimsy material again as she walks over.

swinging it open, her brow instantly furrows. "oikawa?"

the battered boy stands under the overhang, his mouth in a straight line. he doesn't speak for a moment, and her eyes trail down to his hand.

beneath his bandaged knuckles, hanging loosely in his fingertips, is a blue water bottle with her name on it.

he looks down at it as well, lifting it for her to take. “i found this. while cleaning the camp,” he says stiffly.

reclaiming her lost item, she gently removes it from his grasp. “oh...! thanks. where did you find it?”

“underneath the deck at the trading post.”

she rotates it in her palm, noting she must’ve dropped it there at some point without realizing. “okay.”

“yeah.” he purses his lips. “i figured you’d probably need it. take better care of your shit.” with that, he turns to leave.

as she goes to step back into the cabin, she notices that he stops halfway, meeting her again. “ah, and before i go, i just want to remind you that i’ve got dirt on you now.”

immediately, she knows he’s referring to the cave yesterday. her eyes narrow. “... are you threatening to blackmail me?”

“i’m threatening _you_ to not blackmail _me_.” he points between the two of them, brows raised.

arm falling to her side, she lolls her head. “you know that they won’t listen either way, right?”

like this is news to him, he takes a second to process it. recomposing himself, he steps forward with a devilish grin— a grin that would’ve scared her half to death on the first day. though, perhaps she’s not trembling because this one isn’t meant to intimidate. instead, it leans more... playful?

“did you forget who you’re talking to?” he nears her face, squinting. “i’ll make them listen.”

questioning if she heard right, she blinks at his implication of having the camp under his thumb. “are you sure? because i still remember you throwing a fit after i caught y—“

features contorting quickly, he backs away. “oh, okay, y’know what—?” cutting her off, his middle-finger shoots up. “—kiss my ass.” treading off the porch, he holds the gesture before turning and tossing his arm behind him dismissively. “later,” he mutters, finally going on his way.

slowly closing the door, she watches as he walks off, a laugh tickling her throat at his flustering.

for some reason, that interaction could’ve been worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy new year friends🕺🥳


	12. Chapter 12

"ibis! if you are from ibis please raise your hand!" a counselor shouts above the concoction of voices, standing at the top of the trading post stairs.

amidst the other units, each member of ibis makes themselves known by complying with the request.

squinting, the counselor points to each of them with their pencil before checking something off on a piece of paper. "okay. equus, show of hands please!" they move on to the next.

adjusting the loaded backpack over her shoulders, y/n sticks her mouth near juju's ear. "what's an overnight, exactly?" she asks, having never heard of such a thing until today.

juju grunts, taking a moment to process what she said under the noise. "oh, it's pretty fun. you hike to a couple of different places and spend the night there." she lifts her sunglasses to sit atop her head, the sun reflecting off of them.

when the count shifts to leo, so does y/n's attention. looking, her eyes gravitate to the hand that is unmistakably oikawa's. even if it didn't have remnants of the fight as a tell, she'd probably still know which one was his.

shaking her head, she blinks. "uh... how many nights do we stay?” she slowly breaks her gaze from the mere extended limb.

"two nights, i think."

cutting into their conversation, the counselor blares their whistle. "all units, follow me!" they step to the ground, taking place in front of ibis.

the units— leo, ibis, equus, lupus, and ursa— tread along after her. a few other counselors scatter throughout the enormous group as well, like cowboys driving cattle.

the first hour is spent leaving the campgrounds. soon, they reach a divide in the path, one of which parting into a stretch of woods.

beneath the canopy, the scenery doesn't deviate far from green leaves, sticks, and patches of sunshine for a while. at the end of the cramped, winding trail, there's a hill that takes them to rockier terrain.

being a section of the mountain, there's quite a few ridges and cliff edges, the surrounding alpine trees needly and tall. the temperature also drops here, presumably from the wind.

walking into a second forest crafted by the foliage of this biome, they suddenly get a whiff of thick, humid air.

"alright," the woman in front turns to them, walking backwards. "who's ready for a break?" she lifts her weary arms excitedly, the equally worn group responding in a similar manner.

up ahead, the source of the steam becomes visible through a gap of trees— a large, rocky hot spring.

the area is open but secluded simultaneously, giving the many campers room to spread out while in the security of the vegetation.

finding a spot that's distanced from the heat, y/n, juju and tendou throw their bags into a pile. rubbing their aching shoulders and backs, the girls plop down to rest against the cushiony, upright backpacks.

glancing over at tendou, y/n squints. "what are you doing?"

he rips the t-shirt from his torso, tossing it in their huddle of items. "i'm getting in the spring, that's what." leaning over, he digs in his bag for swim trunks.

scanning around, she realizes quite a few others have the same idea. turning back to him, her brow furrows. "where are you getting changed?"

tendou's thumbs dip into the band of his shorts. "right here—"

y/n and juju quickly look away, shielding their eyes. "what?! tendou, no!" they cry.

scoffing, his arms fall to his sides again. "i'm kidding! they're changing in the outhouse over there." his hand motions in the direction of a small, wooden building. "you don't have to act like it'd be such a bad thing though, jeez." he chews his cheek under displeased brows, posture worsening slightly.

flip-flops clacking as he walks off, juju nudges y/n with her elbow. "you getting in, too?"

she shifts, pursing her lips in thought. "i don't know. i'll probably eat first." her hand slides over her stomach, acknowledging its grumbles of complaint.

rotating onto her knees, juju unzips her bag. "oh, i can make us PBJs, if you want."

y/n's head lolls toward her lazily. "you will?"

when juju nods, she hums. patting her friend's knee thankfully, she stares ahead at the pools of water, watching as tendou causes a disturbance with his splashing. "you're a good friend."

"i know," she replies, pulling out a small, zip-lock bag of ingredients. as she begins spreading a wad of jelly, y/n continues observing the mess that is the hot spring.

on one end, there's tendou, who's got (an unwavering) ushijima in a headlock, clawing and climbing all over his body.

on the other, kuroo laughs maniacally while styling his shorter friend's hair, standing the wet, blonde locks up like a horn.

she smiles softly to herself, wondering just how she managed to befriend people so incredibly annoying. it's pretty amusing when _she's_ not on the receiving end of their mischief, though.

abruptly, her thoughts are interrupted as something else catches her eye. oikawa walks past the line from the outhouse, the shorts in his hand replaced by trunks.

turned away, he stops in front of his things. faintly, she can make out the sound of his laughter while discussing something with iwaizumi, who's sitting on the edge of the water.

as her gaze follows his movements, the corners of her lips fall drastically, mouth going dry as he bends his arms behind his shoulders to grab his shirt. in a quick tug, he sheds it from his being.

without hesitation, he lowers himself into the spring, dipping under once before rising to his full height again.

she tells herself to look away, but she can’t. _just a few more seconds,_ her body responds. _just a few more seconds won’t_ _mean anything._

she studies the beads of water spilling down his sun-kissed skin, peppered with the occasional bruise here and there. she studies the way his muscles contract and extend as he wades back to iwaizumi, decorating his frame in a natural, belonging sense.

a realization hits her for the first time, and she swallows hard.

despite everything he's done, despite how much of an asshole he thrives off of being, it unfortunately doesn't change the fact that he's still really, _really_ —

she inhales sharply.

—attractive.

suddenly, her arm is tapped. glancing over quickly, she sits up some. "w-what?"

to her right, juju has a sandwich in her palm, holding it out for her to take. her brows lower at her reaction. "uh... do you still want this?"

y/n wipes the dust off her hands from pulling herself upright, reaching for the food. "oh, yeah. sorry," she mutters.

taking a slow bite, she peeks over at him again— involuntarily. he's sat back down in the water, chin resting on folded arms as he leans against the edge.

when he goes to wipe his bangs out of his eyes, he pauses. at first, she doesn’t understand why, but when she looks up from the curve of his bicep, she realizes that their eyes have met.

going warm, her attention lowers to her sandwich once more, cursing herself for being so obvious.

what the hell is wrong with her?

* * *

the first overnight spot is by a lakeside.

each unit is allowed put down their sleeping bags to their liking. after settling, the groups have been divided throughout the grassland in small clusters.

while the rest of ibis chats amongst themselves, y/n wanders off to sit alone.

notepad in hand, she sits cross-legged beneath a tree that overlooks the lake. observing the shape and structure of the mountains beyond the water, she starts with those.

her piece of charcoal glides across the paper, outlining the peaks of the tall, ragged terrain. the black material wedged between her fingers stains her skin, leaving behind chalky dust.

somehow, the chime of a familiar voice breaks through her focus.

hand slowly coming to a halt, she listens to the sound of oikawa in the distance. judging by the tone, she can tell he's definitely bickering with somebody at the moment. she concludes that it's not a serious argument, but a topic more ridiculous— probably sleeping bag placement or something.

blinking harshly, she tries to concentrate back on her drawing.

it's embarrassing, honestly; the fact that she's falling victim to his charm (though she'd never outwardly admit it). not a lick of it makes sense, they're enemies, they don't like each other. just how weak is she to submit to his faux allure as well?

"that looks like shit."

she flinches violently, almost leaving a long, black streak across the entire page.

speak of the devil.

behind her, oikawa's presence becomes known. how she didn't hear him approach, she's not sure.

not bothering to look at him, she mumbles, "what do you want?"

he breathes in and sighs. "i had to get away from kindaichi for a bit. he keeps putting his sleeping bag too close to mine,” he states like it’s a reasonable thing to fight over. “...dumb bastard.”

her lips purse. of course she was right about their childish squabble. “so why come over here?"

"i thought it'd be more fun to bother you."

rolling her eyes, she runs the medium over the paper in a similar shape to the lake, hoping he'll leave if he’s ignored. a cat can only get so much entertainment out of a dead mouse, after all.

it goes quiet for a moment, and she begins to wonder if he's already gone on his way. then, she hears his clothing rustle as he squats down, peering over her shoulder.

his breathing is almost painfully loud at this proximity. she tries not to pay it any mind, or she might just burn up.

she sees him cock his head in her peripheral. "how long have you been able to draw?" he asks, a soft tinge of interest in his tone.

amid recreating the smaller details of the water, such as the ripples and drops of light, she pauses. "um. i don't know— a while, i guess?" the hostility in her voice falters, a slight shyness taking its place.

she expects him to mock her skill in return, but instead receives nothing.

moving on to the trees and bushes, he squints, watching as she puts down the scribbles framing the lake.

"hey, wait a minute—" he speaks up, louder this time. "where's that tree? right there?" he points to the reference area as if she's supposed to somehow know which one he's talking about.

"what?" she glances at his gesture before looking back down. “it's here," her finger hovers over a spot on the drawing, guessing that’s where he means.

"no it's not. it's too open right there," he critiques. “you forgot it.”

her brow furrows, an angry pout forming on her face. "well, i think it looks f—!"

"let me see," he interrupts.

reaching out, he drops his larger hand over hers, taking control of the charcoal. immediately, the contact sparks thousands of fireworks under her skin, sending a simmering heat through her body.

frozen, she watches as he directs her hand, moving it gently to make marks on the paper.

once he's finished, he clicks his tongue. "there we go." there’s a few smears on his palm as he releases.

she stares down at the addition blankly.

from somewhere behind, they hear iwaizumi shout over, "oikawa! they said you need to help set up the bonfire!"

oikawa's shoulders droop, letting out an exaggerated exhale as he stands to his feet. "what?" he whines. "why me?"

his footsteps sift in the grass as he walks away, leaving her alone once again.

her eyes trace the fresh lines, evaluating what he's done. it's a crude, small pine tree, filling in the spot that was bothering him. his style is much... different than her own, but for some reason, she doesn't want to erase it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this entire hiking trip is literally y/n realizing that she is, in fact, horny. hopefully yall can really relate to her now 😃👍🏻 LMAO
> 
> also every time i write tendou shirtless i always imagine him having pepperoni nipples 😭😭 please help


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAYY !! ......... so there is some sexual content in this chapter. it’s not like vulgar or anything but it’s just a little descriptive and i understand if some of yall might not want to read that. SO if ur one of those ppl dont read any further than the chapter break (the black line)

y/n finding out she wants oikawa might be the worst possible revelation this camp has brought forth.

she tries to think of what led her to this reality, which small, benign action the universe would use to justify this outcome. which flit of the eyes, what turn of the head? surely, it was something she never could've predicted these consequences of, otherwise she would've avoided it like a sickness.

she's not even sure how far back she needs to think— and it makes her stomach twist. just how long has she had these feelings? how long have they been overshadowed by their feud? the thought of him knowing longer than she has is enough to make her want to curl up and die.

and the worst of it all? once you realize something, once you _understand_ something, there's no going back.

that's why, for the entirety of the day, y/n's mind has been plagued with the unfortunate truth. at times, she'll forget about it, but it always returns.

so, she figures a distraction is as good a remedy as she'll get.

next to her, bokuto points to a salamander on a rock, gasping. "y/n, look!" he directs her gaze to the small, black amphibian. it turns its head slightly, lifting its right eye to look him in his own.

she leans over and puts her hands on her knees, watching as the creature doesn't shy at their advancing. "he's cool."

yesterday night, y/n and bokuto crossed paths during the bonfire. such a fleeting interaction really shouldn't have progressed to this point, but he has a habit of treating everyone like a friend, even those he doesn't know and his competition. she's not really sure what she did to convince him they're good buddies, but in all honesty, she's not bothered.

plus, he has a lot of energy, which in turn blocks any flat moments that would elicit wandering thoughts.

they say goodbye to the small animal, hurrying before the rest of the units leave without them.

catching up to ibis in the back, they walk through a stream that leads to a calf-splitting-ly steep hill.

on the way to the top, bokuto begins telling her yet another one of his crazy stories— she's heard about twenty now, and a majority of them would be marked by most as unbelievable. for some reason though, she can't help feeling like they're all true.

"—oh man, and then the bear stood up on two legs!" he turns to her, walking sideways while he mimics the bear. "i totally thought i was going to have to wrestle with it, but akaashi brought this bear spray and—"

he rambles, and she wonders how he's managing to breathe at the same time. bringing a knuckle to her lips, she stifles a laugh at his goofy antics.

then, like some kind of switch, her smile saddens some, harboring the start of a frown. it's heartbreaking remembering all of the things that are said about him— things even _she_ bought into at one time. he's really not what they say.

she wonders if he knows, or maybe he's just too friendly to suspect as much of people.

"— and then a helicopter had to come and get us. it was pretty fun, they wouldn't let me fly it though."

blinking harshly a few times, she rejoins the conversation, covering any noticeable slivers of pity. "i can't imagine why,” she chuckles.

he shrugs, taking a sip from his water before replying, "i'm telling you, it doesn't look that hard."

when they finally reach level ground, their legs burn like the depths of hell itself. a symphony of groans is let out as they stop to recuperate, gathering around on the rocky surface.

the trek begins again shortly, continuing to the edge of one of the largest valleys y/n has ever seen.

the lead counselor stops everyone in front of it.

attempting to guess what their next move is, y/n observes the area behind the woman. there's a long, grey pole that stands straight up in the air, a cable extending from it. as her eyes follow the suspended material, she almost chokes.

it's a zip line.

that in itself isn't much of a problem, it's the gigantic descent they'll be hanging over for what looks like miles.

the counselor folds her arms behind her back. "okay. the only way to get to our next spot is by zip line, so i hope you're ready folks!" she grabs a harness sitting in the grass by the platform.

"real quick though, this is what you have to wear. it's a full-body harness, so it goes over your legs and shoulders...—" she pauses while demonstrating how to put it on. "—like this." her figure rotates to show off the correct way of wearing it. "and don't worry, we'll double-check it before we let you go."

standing beside the take-off spot, she adds, "the types of harnesses we have can be a little tricky to remove on your own if you're not used to it, so the person that went before you will have to help." with that, she secures herself to the line, turning around one last time. "i do this every year, so i'll go first. i'll only be able to help the person after me though— we have to keep the line moving to prevent a build-up on the other side. so don't leave until the next person is out of their equipment!”

y/n watches in horror as she pushes herself off without hesitation, the pulley whirring while she disappears into the white fog.

the harness is directed back after the woman tugs on the line three times, signaling that she's landed.

while she knows that she's okay, y/n still thinks it's a bit ominous to see the black straps return without its passenger; slowly becoming visible again, hanging limply where there used to be the weight of a body.

she swallows.

side-eyeing her, bokuto tilts his head her way. "what's wrong?"

surprised that he noticed, she forces a short laugh. "it's nothing," she lies. there's really no way around it, so where's the sense in further concerning him with her fears?

he squints, dissecting her fib. "are you scared?"

mouth popping open, she contemplates denying again. upon deciding it's not worth the effort, her irises flit to his. "i— yeah. a little."

a big, pearly smile spreads on his face. patting her on the back, he chirps, "don't be!"

after jolting from his affectionate slap, she blinks. giving him a search for any signs of humor, her shoulders slump. "...thanks," she mutters dryly.

nodding, he looks off at the drop, hands on his hips. "you already know that if something happened, i'd run to the bottom of the valley and catch you!" he laughs, sending her a confident glint. “but nothing _will_ happen. so don't even worry about it."

waiting to hear her response, he raises his brows. "okay?"

she eyes the stern, encouraging expression on his face. he seems so sure, almost as if it's actually something he can control— as ridiculous as that is, it's exactly what she needed to hear.

"...right." her lips slowly curl into a gentle smile.

up ahead, another counselor starts sending campers. the numbers of the group lessen and lessen as minutes pass by.

from behind, ibis nears the zip line. the last few before y/n finish up, the final one to leap being oikawa.

it's a little comforting to see that even he hesitates a moment at the edge, albeit either short-lived or well conquered, as he's barreling through the air seconds later.

"alright," the counselor holds their hand out for the next. "come on."

there's a long silence as nobody steps forward. confused, y/n glances around. their arm can't possibly be outstretched in _her_ direction.

tone laced in irritation now, they jut their limb towards her again. "you! come on!"

she furrows her brow. if she goes next, then oikawa will have to remove her harness— and god knows that's the last thing she needs right now.

"w-wait, wait, wait—" her hands come up in front of her, taking a step back. "i— can somebody else go?"

right behind her, bokuto gives her a soft nudge. "hey, you said you wouldn't be scared."

peering over her shoulder at him, she shakes her head. "yeah, i know, but—"

"you're holding up the line, goddammit. let's go!" the counselor cuts her off with a raise of their voice.

pushed onward by bokuto, she stumbles closer to the platform. looking down at the harness, her legs begin to shake. deciding she has no other choice— unless she wants to get in trouble with the short-tempered counselor— she lifts the equipment onto her body.

when she's done, she wobbles over to have it checked. they give the straps a tightening and a rough pull to make sure everything is secure. then, they lower one of the chords to connect her to the line, pulling it through the harness with a loop.

she almost squeaks as she peeks into the depths, looking back at her friends worriedly. watching, bokuto gives her a thumbs up. "i'm right behind you!"

sitting down to prepare for the jump, she freezes. just as she's about to muster up the courage to scoot forward, the counselor gives her a shove.

with a scream, she goes flying into the fog. the zip line moves so fast she can barely think, the wind blaring against her eardrums. shortly after being encased in a white void, the other end of the valley comes into view.

holding on for dear life, heart pounding in her ears, she watches the progressive ascension of the cable as it slows her approach.

her feet steadily near the ground, and she chokes back the need to hurl.

standing at the opposite platform, oikawa looks at her blankly. immediately, she pushes her hair out of her eyes, reaching for the buckles before he can.

"what are you doing?" he stops his hands mid-air.

through stinging breaths, she mutters, "i got it."

he crosses his arms as she picks weakly at the straps, only managing to unfold one of them in the span of a few minutes.

with an impatient sigh, he reaches forward again. "stop." he smacks both of her arms away, but she smacks him back.

"quit! i don't need your help!" she snaps, hitting him in the chest.

testily, he grabs both of her wrists. his grip is tight against her skin as he gives her a tug. "i said stop!" he hisses. "there's other people waiting, you're taking forever!"

heaving, she glares at him. with a tuck of her chin, her brows furrow while averting her gaze. once the struggle of her hands comes to a halt, he releases her.

defeatedly, her arms sit loosely at her sides as he works over the harness. every time his fingertips grace her body or slip off the buckle, her breath hitches. if she didn't know any better, she'd think that a few of those times were on purpose.

she hates that his closeness does this to her— that his touch could make her so vulnerable if he wanted. she hates it. it pisses her off like nothing else.

once she's freed, she steps away, creating distance between them. without giving him so much as a second glance, she stands to the side and waits for bokuto.

* * *

sleeping bag bound, y/n stares up at the millions of stars visible tonight. the moon rests high, giving her just enough light to glance over at her sleeping friends.

a few feet away from her, she can see the rest of the unit, their breathing deep and rhythmic as they lay unconscious.

the stillness of their bodies is what she’s looking for, the lack of movement against the crickets' song giving her a small boost of reassurance.

and... slight guilt.

she sighs deeply. how can she regret something she hasn't even done yet?

slowly, her hand slips into her sleeping bag. she curses inwardly, brows creasing together in resentment. the fact that she's about to do this— the fact that she can't sleep without it right now, is infuriating.

her fingertips snake into the band of her shorts, then her underwear.

in her mind, _he’s_ the one guiding her actions, creating all the more excuses to blame him instead of herself.

she uses the memory of his warm, calloused palm over her own, moving it at his will. there's an intricate structure to his hands, an ornate mixture of delicacy and strength. she's seen the malicious side of these instruments many times, but recently, she's wondered what their gentleness is like— how they'd feel tracing the smooth of her exposed skin.

an involuntary exhale slips once she makes contact with the aching spot. fearing she'll wake someone, she clasps her opposing palm over her mouth.

then, she hears his voice. the false, intangible presence chimes in her ears, reverberates in her chest. she can almost feel him around her, watching with that smug, domineering expression of his. as her eyelids fall shut, she's able to make out the words: " _touch yourself for me._ "

raking her bottom lip in, she moves her fingers in a small circle, body jerking when she finds the perfect angle, the perfect tempo, the perfect pressure. she lets out gentle whines into her palm, all the while wishing she was releasing them into his mouth instead.

nearing the end of her shameful act, her once angry brows knead upwards, a slight watering filling her eyes. she gets tenser and tenser with every second until she finally feels the winding coil snap.

whimpering, her breath heaves in her chest, attempting to stifle every sound and movement with all she can manage.

when the high begins to settle, she opens her eyes again, meeting the stars once more.

the tiny specks twinkle in her glossy irises, a frown pulling beneath them. her breathing slowly steadies, and she grabs a dirty shirt to wipe her fingers on.

_how pathetic._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the way that i have to do RESEARCH for this fic 😭😭 like i literally had to look up zip lining tutorials and stuff on YOUTUBE bc ive only been once and couldnt remember how it works 😭😭 i still dont know if i got it right so if some of it dont make sense im sorry lol 
> 
> also for anybody that doesnt want to read smut ill try to make it so u can still understand the story without it but i cant guarantee that itll always work out like that bc it is like a part of their relationship lmao 🏃🏃 so just keep that in mind i guess !!


	14. Chapter 14

wiping the sleep from her eyes, y/n squints at the morning sun peeking through the treetops.

all around her, other campers are already sat up in their spots. their hair is messy and clothes disheveled while they eat granola bars, chatting quietly amongst themselves.

she slides her torso upwards, propping herself up on her elbows. noticing, tendou's eyes flit her way, pausing mid-chew.

his hair stands up in all different directions, eyes purpled underneath. "hey," he greets after swallowing. immediately, he turns to reach in his bag. "we thought you died. everyone else has been awake for an hour," he mumbles with his bar of food between his teeth, making his words almost indecipherable.

following the sound of a zipper, he faces her again with a snack similar to his own.

sleepily, she stares at the object for a moment before taking it. through the sounds of unwrapping plastic, tendou jests, "were you up partying or somethin' last night?" he laughs, taking in her unruly appearance.

just as she's about to jam the food into her molars, she pauses, counting the seconds before it becomes suspicious.

the night's true events come back to her. a spike of guilt and disgust tears through her stomach like a dull blade, but luckily, she's distracted by filling her mouth with honeyed granola.

"shut up." she sports an eye roll, irritation pricking at her brow.

at first, he's a little taken aback at her hostility. then, he sighs, wearing a gentle grin. "you're always such a doll in the mornings, y'know?" his words prod at her sarcastically.

choosing not to reply, she continues eating her breakfast— though she's not sure she tastes a single bit of it while thinking.

she's not mad at tendou of course, she just can't stop feeling moody right now. even if she tells herself to respond normally, her body behaves otherwise. it's probably a result of her recent inner conflict, and she figures maybe she should avoid the others for a while. the last thing she wants is to impulsively say or do something she'll regret.

when she stands, tendou's face falls questioningly. "what are you doing?"

she crumbles up her wrapper, sticking it in her bag. after grabbing her toothbrush and water bottle, she bites her cheek while looking down at his cross-legged figure. "i'm going to brush my teeth... and then i'll probably go on a quick walk or something."

his brow lowers. "a walk?" he blinks, lolling his head. "you know we'll have to get moving soon, right?"

"yeah. i won't be long."

watching as she walks off, he raises his voice so she can hear, "do you want me to come with?"

with her back to him, she puts a hand up. "not this time."

* * *

hunching over to spit in the leaves, y/n wipes her mouth with her forearm. after washing the residue away with her water, she clears her throat, popping both items back in their place. picking up the bag, she swings it over one of her shoulders.

giving the woods a surveying glance, she chews her lip. she doesn't want to go far— just do a little exploring to clear her mind.

deciding on a route, her pajama-clad body pushes through branches, snapping twigs and crushing leaves. she follows the barely visible path under her boots, looking up occasionally to note her surroundings.

one of her steps results in a loud, escaping hiss. glancing down, she spots a thorn sticking out of her bare calf.

"dammit," she winces, ripping the point from her skin. as she does so, she notices a small patch of lavender poking out of the earth. her eyes study the gathering of purple flowers, quickly realizing that there's more than one.

breaking down shrubs, she follows the herbs further into the woods. the amount grows the more she walks, evolving from tens of buds to hundreds.

eventually, the entire ground is covered in a sea of purple, replacing the dull, brown color of the leaves and dirt. the hidden field sits beneath the canopy, the trees sprouting from the flowers laced with spiraling ivy.

entranced, y/n grins. "holy shit," she laughs giddily, taking in the scene. sifting deeper into the growth, she plops down towards the center. setting her backpack beside her, she reaches in and grabs her camera.

rotating her torso, she snaps a few pictures of the area.

hearing a rustle of vegetation behind her, she turns that way, hoping to catch a deer. through the lens, she finds a pair of legs instead.

she lets out a frightened scream, the object dropping from her hands as she jumps. instantly, she reckons she's met the end of her days— that maybe she's trespassed a little too close to a serial killer's cabin in the woods.

gaze trailing up to their face, the last face she expects to see before she dies, her shoulders slump.

if this were a murder mystery, her killer being oikawa would be severely anticlimactic.

eyelids drooping, she lowers her shielding hand. "what the— what do you want?"

she desperately tries to hide the fact that her insides are churning at the sight of him, her brain bombarding her with not-so-clean thoughts thanks to last night.

arms resting leisurely across his chest, he stares down at her. "it's about time to start heading back to camp. counselor told me to come find you."

she squints, brows creasing. watching as he steps around and observes the field, she leans her weight on her palm. "why would the counselor tell _you_ to come get me? you aren't even in my unit."

with his back to her, he shrugs. "that's what i was wondering— but i think she just wants me to fuck her, so she's been coming up with reasons to talk to me." he runs his fingers over a fallen trunk, scanning the moss he picks up.

her irises fall to her hands, fiddling idly with the plants. "oh." is the only thing she can say without sounding bitter.

"yeah." turning, he props himself up on the log, one leg sat on top and the other hanging. "i'm not really into her though," he adds nonchalantly, like the ease of disregarding her feelings is akin to breathing.

looking up, she meets his eyes and pauses. at first, she's a little relieved to hear such a thing, but the reality of her and that counselor's similar positions dawns on her. if anything, y/n's is _worse_. giving a hum of acknowledgment, she lowers her head again.

as she's about to rise and collect her belongings, he suddenly asks, "are you okay?"

certain she's hearing things, she shoots him a studying glance. before she can respond, he fills the silence once more. "i mean— why are you sitting out here by yourself?" he blinks.

staring, she goes silent with panic. she can't tell him that he's the reason why— there's no way in hell she'd ever do that.

"because i wanted to be _alone_." she settles on, sending him an expression that almost translates directly to flipping him off. although, it's more of a protective mask than anything.

brows flying up in surprise, his lips part. "god, you've been such a snappy little shit lately." he laughs, sliding down from his resting spot.

she doesn't make much of his reaction until he starts approaching.

with each nearing footstep of his, she scoots herself back some; the stalks of lavender bending and flattening with their movements.

anxiously, she tries to figure out why he needs to close the distance between them. when his words echo mentally, she realizes that she _has_ been biting back quite a bit, more often than she used to. he must be fed up with it, she must've pushed her luck too far— that must be the reason.

stopping in front of her, his arm disconnects from his side.

she freezes.

glancing between him and the still, outstretched limb, she lets out a breath.

"come on." his open palm beckons for her own. "they're gonna be pissed if we take any longer."

slowly, the tenseness in her shoulders dissipates. accepting his reach, she allows him to pull her to her feet.

* * *

on the way back, the units herd together again. the overnight trail makes a complete circle to the camp, so the rest of the hike isn’t much longer.

y/n walks slightly behind ibis, eyes glued to the dirt. she listens to the many conversations happening around her, keeping her entertained for the time being.

through the voices, she hears a zipping behind her ear. stopping abruptly, she turns her head to see oikawa breaking into her backpack.

"hey!" she scolds. "what are you doing?!"

he shoots her a very short, playful glint before refocusing on the object in his hands. "i'm gonna use your camera real quick, okay?"

walking backwards, he turns to his friends.

right behind him, y/n struggles to keep pace without tripping him with her body. "what?! no! not okay!" she huffs while he evades her grabby hands.

ignoring her, he sticks his eye to the viewfinder. "hey, iwaizumi— say: 'i'm one butt-ugly bastard'!" he chirps, followed by a click and a flash.

clearly used to such antics, iwaizumi scoffs at his teasing. “don't make me bounce that thing off your head." he rolls his eyes.

squeaking, y/n becomes more distressed. "oikawa!" she whines, praying for the safety of her camera.

"your turn, kindaichi!" tilting slightly, he continues taunting his friends. after a long pause, he mutters, "goddamn. i don't think the camera likes you very much." lowering the item from his vision, he sees kindaichi’s true figure, unamused and mean-mugging him. "oh, never mind. you just look like that, actually," he states matter-of-factly.

"you—!” fingers twitching at his sides, kindaichi considers wringing the provocative boy's neck, but iwaizumi sticks an arm out as a barrier.

defeatedly, y/n yanks on oikawa's shirt. her pleas have been so ignored at this point that she doesn’t expect him to listen— let alone to be met with a lens in her face.

"smile!"

completely caught off guard, she goes still just as the light flashes.

watching in horror as the camera spits out the result, she hastily rips it from his grasp before he can see it. studying the partially blurred image, her skin burns hot.

from the torso up, she's depicted with a look of surprise, mouth agape and brows gently raised. in the background, the entrance of the camp is visible, along with the few morning rays it sensed in the top left.

as the others pass them by, she stands off to the side, taking way too long to notice oikawa breathing down her neck.

"agh, what a waste of film," she mumbles.

staring at it over her shoulder, oikawa grunts. "i think you should keep it."

turning to him, she furrows her brows like he's crazy. his face falls in response, wondering if he said something wrong.

“why? it's terrible,” she eyes him suspiciously, presuming he wants to use it to make fun of her or something.

"why is it terrible?"

"because i _look_ terrible—"

"you don't," he argues quickly, straight-faced.

at this, she doesn't say anything. instead, her eyes dart over his features, not sure how to react. she half-heartedly foresees him adding something along the lines of 'you look worse than terrible', but it never comes.

clearing his throat, he hands her the camera back. while he does so, the final unit walks by, the counselor behind reminding them to keep moving.

"just keep it, okay?" he perks his brows at her for emphasis, leaving her on the trail alone after she fails to fill her window to reply.

the sound of him jogging to catch up with the others is the last she hears from him. giving the picture a final glance, she slowly removes her backpack and places both things inside.

redirecting herself, she goes further down the path towards camp, spotting oikawa rejoining leo at the bottom of the hill.

after a long trek back to the cabins, she finds everyone else already inside.

the floor is a scattered mess while they all unpack their things. just as she goes to set her backpack down, her teammates start leaving one by one.

confused, she scans around, realizing tendou is the only one left— and he plans on leaving soon as well.

she stops him by the door. hands full of clothes, he sends her a questioning look. "hm?"

"where are you guys going?"

"showers. you coming?"

the longer they meet face to face, the more she feels upset with herself for how she treated him this morning. “oh. um, i don't know." she hesitates, picking at her fingertips. "maybe after i take care of my stuff."

he nods, going to place his palm on the door handle. just as he makes contact, y/n stops him again.

"hey— tendou," she frowns slightly, grabbing at a hangnail. "i'm sorry... about earlier."

it goes silent, and she fears that he's angry with her. then, he mutters, "... earlier?"

she blinks. studying him, she concludes that he really is completely clueless. “this morning? ... i was kind of mean to you?" she says softly, trying to ring a bell.

after a moment, he lets out a loud "ohh!" and shakes his head dismissively. "ah, don't worry about it! i’ve only thought about it three hundred times since it happened.”

she almost passes his words off as a joke, but at the same time, tendou can be notoriously hard to read when it comes to him being serious or not. “uh—?”

cackling at her short-circuiting, he gives her a strong shoulder pat. "i'm kidding!"

slowly, a smile forms on her face to match his own, a relieved laugh leaving her throat.

"but really, don't worry about it. i can put up with a lot more shit than you think,” he reassures. this time, he's finally able to open the door all the way. "anyway, i'll be back later." he lets in the sounds of the bustling camp outside.

"okay."

with a squeal of the hinges, he's gone.

figuring she better get to putting her stuff away, she glances down at her bag. kneeling to unzip it, she pulls out the handful of polaroids on top.

looking through them, she stops on the one oikawa took. at first, she hesitates, contemplating on just tossing it.

ultimately, she brings the pile over to tendou's nightstand, rummaging through his drawer for his marker.

in the light from the window, she lays each image down on the chipped, blue surface. going through the pictures, she starts writing down dates and captions. on the last one, the one of her, she pauses. what does she even caption this one as?

pondering, her permanent marker hovers over the material.

then, she sets aside marking it as something cute or clever, instead settling on just calling it as it is. on the back, she scribbles, _'the one oikawa likes.'_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there’s so much going on in this one it was such a bitch to edit oh my god 💀 sorry yall. but heres a little oikawa x y/n development 🤲🏻😺


	15. Chapter 15

in high school, oikawa wasted little time in conducting his reign of terror over y/n.

almost as soon as she transferred to aoba johsai, it was like a permanent, unwavering target got slapped on her back. because of this, certain parts of his personality were hidden from her. he chose a very select part to show, and for a long time, that was all she knew.

as of recently though, he's been revealing himself more— chucking these small portions of character her way, the bits he rips off the bone and deems okay to offer; as long as he still has more than enough to keep for himself, of course.

she was wary of this at first, as trust was vital in accepting and he had since been the one to beat that black and blue. but, once she realized that his actions were lacking more and more in manipulation and devilry, she found herself intrigued by who he might really be.

the measly slivers of himself soon became insufficient. now, she wants bigger rations, a more flavorful cut— no more samples. just who is oikawa tooru, really? who's beneath his bully exterior? if they were known to her, would she like them?

would they like _her_?

if he knew that she was such a perceptive type, he probably would've never made the mistake of allowing the target to peel, as the first slip was just enough to let her know that it isn't so unshakeable after all.

* * *

bathing suit bound, ibis, lupus, and leo stand in the field across from the waterslide lake.

the mowed grasses tickle their bare ankles and feet despite being still, and the sun blares down on their skin despite having already left its mark.

the counselor's boots tread over the turf, a red, plastic cooler in his hands. popping the top off, tons of brightly colored water balloons are revealed.

the units soon realize that this is not the extent of the items, as two more coolers are brought over and placed beside the first.

the man groans, stretching out his back before starting, "well, i'm sure you all already know that this is water balloon dodgeball." his finger swipes over his white mustache and he sniffles. "uh, there's no practice round for this... all you really have to do is throw them."

a bead of sweat on his forehead glistens when he takes off his hat. "you just have to try and get out as much of the other teams as possible. there's food coloring in the water, so we'll be able to keep track of who gets out who— and nobody can try to pull any fast ones that way as well."

he goes on to explain which colors will be whose; ibis: yellow, leo: blue, and lupus: red.

then, each team is allowed to go up and grab their first water balloons.

y/n steps to the cooler, peering into the assortment of colors. she leans over to grab a yellow one, filling her hand with the plump object. when she glances up, she stifles a gasp.

oikawa stands on the opposite side, reaching for one of his own color.

assessing him, she notes that his bruises have cleared up not only on his face but on his body as well— save for a few of the more severe ones. he looks... better, she thinks. he looks _good_.

catching her eyes, he smirks. his summer-induced freckles crinkle with the skin of his nose as he sends her a playful look.

"try not to stare too hard today, you little perv." he bounces the balloon in his hand, the material rippling with every toss.

she nearly drops her own balloon as she threatens to go limp with humiliation. that's right— he saw her watching him at the hot spring. he was just waiting to use that one, wasn't he?

"p-perv—?! i—"

baring even more of his perfect teeth, the green gum between them becomes visible as he laughs at her reaction. she glares, stammering until she notices a flit of his eyes once they open. they trail her figure up and down, a display he hardly cares to hide.

surely, it was an act of making fun of her.

“hey!" she calls him out, though not really sure what she's going to say. "i— i saw that!"

he juts his head back. "saw what?"

playing dumb, a classic. she stiffens her arms by her sides. "you know! you can't get mad at me for something and then do the exact same thing!"

for a moment, he goes quiet, the chewing of his jaw faltering. then, he cocks his head and grins gently. "you make the rules now?"

she backs up as another camper reaches for a balloon in the cooler. flustering at his condescending response, her lip bobs. "... yeah," she finally musters, albeit flatly.

in place of saying anything, he perks a brow and lets a short chuckle leave his throat. his gaze matches one he'd give to a small animal— its angry chattering doing all but intimidating.

stomping her foot and making a noise equivalent to a train releasing steam, she turns on her heels and flips him off over her shoulder. "whatever!" she shouts, walking away. "maybe you'll start taking me more seriously after we kick your ass!"

he waits a moment before turning to his team as well. "oh, won't that be something."

taking stance beside tendou, she holds her balloon tightly between her hands. "fucker," she mutters, vision fixated across the field.

tendou looks over, face drooping when he sees the fragile rubber contorting in her grasp. "hey, i don't think you should squeeze it like that." he points.

she continues watching oikawa's silhouette beneath the tree-line, squinting at his cocky, composed demeanor; the way that he's not even anxiously awaiting the sound of the buzzer. instead, he converses with iwaizumi, not paying attention at all.

the corner of her lip twitches— not in anger, but from a competitive rise.

recently, she's learned something about him. he can be painfully irritating, but in an endearing sense, too. lighthearted exchanges of taunting and banter come naturally to him, the kind that makes the process of proving him wrong that much more exciting.

 _exciting_ , she repeats to herself.

that's the nicer word she'll use for him.

"y/n—!" tendou shouts at her side. just as he does so, the buzzer goes off, along with the balloon in her hands exploding in her face.

her jaw, chest, and arms get covered in yellow dye. the rest of the field erupts into splashes and the chucking of balloons— the most colorful battlefield she's ever seen.

while he attempts to help her, tendou notes the irrationality of allowing both of them to get put out. grabbing her wrist, he decides the most he can do is bring her to cover.

evading the water-grenades falling from every direction, they hunker behind one of the scattered wood panels. "you have to go and grab a new one!"

"i'll get hit, that's stupid!"

"no," he peeks beyond their solid barrier. "i think most of them have already thrown their first." confirming his thoughts, a large crowd has gathered around the coolers. seeing her small window of opportunity, he nudges her onward. "oh, shit— go now!"

being thrust out into the open, she nearly slips on the wet grass and mud. "tendou!" she cries, protesting the fact that she wasn't prepared. despite this, she still runs to the center.

pushing through the bodies, she frantically searches the coolers for a yellow balloon. sifting through the first one, she realizes that it's out of yellows. moving onto the second, she spots one wedged in the corner.

as she reaches for the jiggly, slippery object, she notices a few of the others around her dispersing at the same time. eyes flickering to scan for the danger, she freezes.

in her hunched-over state, she sees oikawa from under her brow. he has a wicked smile as his arm winds up, a blue balloon in its grasp.

 _of course_ , she thinks. of course oikawa held onto his water balloon until everyone else was most vulnerable— he's too smart to pass up a guaranteed shot.

straightening, she contemplates her options with the short amount of time she has. should she toss her own balloon at him? no, he's already in motion for a throw, his will hit first.

seconds tick, and she realizes that if she wants to stay in the game, she has to move _now_.

as her brain barely sends the first signals to her legs, oikawa's body goes still, his limb frozen in the air.

curiously, her gaze shoots to the side as she starts to make a run for it, just catching the slight fall of his lips—

—... as he lets her go?

or so she thinks. she concludes it must've been just a small measure of hesitation, as her eyes widen when he powers up again shortly. chest expanding, shoulder driving back, he has an unforgiving gaze and grit to his smile as he lets the rotund item rip her way.

whimpering, she does the last thing she can think of.

fall.

muddying her entire front, she drops to the ground, cringing at the feeling of the moist earth sticking to her skin.

then, to her left, she hears someone let out a sharp yelp.

turning her head, she sees kuroo stumbling as oikawa's balloon makes direct contact with his face, the smack of it exploding disruptively loud.

he doubles over, wiping the blue dye from his eyes. as he does so, her gaze trails down to his hand, which holds an un-launched balloon. she notices that he's standing right behind where she was moments ago, and her eyelids droop. he was going to try to hit her, wasn't he?

that asshole.

scrambling to her feet, she hurries back to where tendou was, trying to stay as low as possible.

without looking, he greets her. "get a balloon?" he says, watching the others.

"yeah," she breathes.

slowly breaking his gaze, he turns to her. immediately, he does a double-take, scanning her up and down in surprise. "goddamn— what happened to you?" he watches as a splotch of mud slides down her knee.

"... stuff," is all she can muster while recuperating.

nodding, he accepts her answer, placing his attention on the game once more.

she joins him in surveying on her own end of the board. in the midst of it, she spots oikawa again. iwaizumi supplies him with balloons, as each throw of his seems to land, and his aim is pretty accurate. she starts to worry that if ibis doesn’t move more efficiently, leo will win.

then, her brows furrow. considering that he's so good at this, shouldn't she be out right now? was she the only one he managed to miss?

she chews her cheek.

... is it wishful thinking to wonder if oikawa ever planned to hit her at all?

* * *

come the end of the event, oikawa gets pulled aside for a hefty earful from the counselor. from what y/n catches, it has to do with the other players complaining about pain after being hit with his throws.

she believes them. kuroo is the best example of it— perhaps he even got it the worst. the start of a black eye purples his socket, and she reckons it'll be quite ugly by tomorrow.

with a cold washcloth to his ridiculously stained face, kuroo spits, "fucking dick. who uses water balloons like that?" he side-eyes oikawa, whose lecture is meeting the ten-minute mark now.

they stand by the trees, their shadows stretching in the grass as the sun sets. oikawa has his hands resting on his sides, nodding along with whatever scolding the counselor is giving. y/n supposes he's working any charm he has to lessen his consequences.

"he's got an arm on him, that's for sure." tendou wipes rigorously at the red on his chest. "what did you say he used to play? baseball?"

"volleyball," y/n mutters, watching as oikawa sure enough gets sent away with just a warning. her gaze follows him while he meets up with his waiting team. iwaizumi is seen expressing a bit of concern, probably for how much his friend can get away with before he can't anymore. oikawa lifts his arms in a shrug, shaking his head. he's definitely saying something along the lines of, "you should be more upset that we lost."

kuroo threatens him with a feint as leo walks by, to which oikawa sends a passing glare.

"at least you guys got the points, i guess." y/n sighs, picking up her water bottle to take a drink.

"yeah, whatever. i'd rather have lost than almost get my eye taken out by that sadistic fuck." he scoffs, sliding on his flip-flops. "i'm going to get this shit off my face. later."

tendou and y/n watch as he goes in the direction of the bathhouse, leaving them as some of the last few on the field.

while grabbing his things, tendou mumbles, "he's pretty mad."

y/n's shoulders slump. "yeah," she replies quietly. "i know"

even though he's been going easier on _her_ lately, that doesn't change the fact that being an asshole is something oikawa enjoys. it's a facet of his as real as any of the others.

tendou gestures to the giant, red blotch on her neck and cheek. "you coming to shower too?"

looking down at her body of mixed colors and dried mud stains, she contemplates a moment. "uh... nah. i think i'll jump in the lake first."

too tired to accompany her, they share goodbyes as he heads off on his own.

trekking through the field, over the path, and down the steps to the lake, y/n notes how empty it is. the sensor lights of the lake's lampposts switch on, helping her realize just how dark it's getting. she presumes it's close to curfew, hence why nobody else had the same idea.

just as she's about to change her mind and head back to the unit, she spots a figure sitting on the edge of the dock— a familiar one.

"juju?" she calls softly.

the girl's orange locks twist as she turns her way. "oh, hey," she answers in the same tone she always uses.

steps creaking on the wood, y/n hears the sounds of feet kicking in the water as she grows closer. when she kneels to sit beside her, she sees how washed out the light nearby makes their features.

neither speak for a moment. juju glances down at the ripples by her toes, releasing a long breath. "man, it's been a long-ass week."

y/n sputters out a laugh, inwardly prodding at how much of an understatement that'd be had she known the mental backflips she's been up to. "yeah."

laying back, juju rests her arms behind her head, watching as the stars slowly reclaim the sky.

picking at a stray piece of wood, y/n's lips bend into a frown. she can confide in juju, she knows she can; she’s probably the one person she won’t be too embarrassed to tell. this might be her only chance at freeing her mind up a little, and god knows the cluster is driving her up the wall.

"hey—" she starts awkwardly. "what... do you think of oikawa?"

although slightly caught off guard by his mention, juju lets out a lengthy noise of consideration. "he's a dick," she says flatly.

y/n sighs. she thought so.

turning on her side, she lays down next to her, propping her head up on her elbow. studying her profile, she inhales. "but what if he's only a dick _sometimes_?"

clearly in thought, more so about the outlandish nature of the questions, she kneads her brows together. "i mean... that still makes him a dick." she rolls over to meet her face before she can say anything else. "why?"

y/n purses her lips, wondering if she should continue. "...because i know that he doesn't always have to be."

"what? of course he doesn't have to be, he _chooses_ to be." she gestures slightly with her hands. "why are you even thinking about this? you don't like him."

when y/n follows with a long pause, juju's eyes widen as far as they go with her. "wait," she sits up more, "oh, shit— _do_ you like him?"

torso springing upright, y/n lifts her arms defensively. "okay, i don't know about _like_ yet—"

"why would you do that to yourself? he's terrible to you."

raising her voice slightly higher than their previous whisper tones, she stutters, "i know! b-but... he hasn't been that bad lately."

juju goes quiet, snapping her agape mouth shut.

y/n takes that as a sign to elaborate. "he's been kind of... bearable," she adds, softer. "like, he's capable of being better—" after a few seconds of realization, she mutters, "and, honestly, the person he is when he's not being a jackass... i think i do like him."

processing that information, juju looks off at the moon reflecting on the water. "that's... complicated."

smacking both her hands on her face with a loud groan, y/n falls back onto the dock again. "i know! fuck!"

"what the hell are you gonna do about it?"

"i don't know!"

she turns back to her wallowing friend. she parts her lips like she's going to speak, but hesitates, deciding she should confirm something first. "he hasn't ever, like... hurt you, right?"

still hiding in her hands, y/n shakes her head. aside from the occasional pecking order shove, he's never stooped low enough to cause her any serious, physical pain.

"hm," she grunts, relieved. "then, if he’s really been as... different ... as you say, maybe you should just talk to him." she tries to help, even though she’s having quite a hard time understanding where she's coming from.

slowly spreading her fingers, y/n peeks over curiously. "talk to him...?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> leave it to oikawa to take water balloon dodgeball too seriously 🥸


	16. Chapter 16

"...talk to him?" y/n mutters.

"yeah. just like, start a normal conversation."

her hands lower from her face slowly, and she considers balling them up to smack her friend in the back of the head.

sitting up harshly, she throws her arms out. "juju! are you fucking nuts?!"

juju leans back at the eruption, a twist of confusion on her features. "what?" her brow deepens slightly. "you just said you liked him!" they both shout in hushed whispers now.

"yeah, when he's _not_ being a total asshole, which is only like, two percent of the time!"

she hopes that percentage will greaten with patience. although, with some thought, she's not exactly sure why she's willing to give him that patience— when she tries to conjure up a reason, her brain only supplies her with a small, unimpressive box of memories.

like the few times she's searched his eyes for their usual hardness and found a different presence to them, one that was too human for someone irredeemable. or, perhaps she should look at the instances when he was, dare she say, _kind_. these moments may hardly meet the definition (as his way of expressing compassion needs a bit of a tune-up), but they were much too significant to someone who knows his wickedness inside and out.

as juju said before, he doesn't _have_ to do anything. just like how he didn't have to stand up for her against kindaichi. he didn't have to give her concerns the light of day inside lucille's cave, and he didn't have to trade places to make her feel better either. he didn't have to return her water bottle, avoid hurting her on the water balloon field, and— given their old dynamic— he most definitely does not have to make any effort towards keeping himself in check while interacting with her.

he chooses to do these things.

he makes a conscious decision in his mind and acts on it, the kind that high school oikawa would've never even had the ability to think of.

someone that feels no remorse doesn't allow a single footfall towards growth; that's why she notices these things. he still has his moments, and why he's so troubled remains beyond her, but she'll meet him in the middle as long as he keeps taking steps forward.

so, perhaps the reason is a mix of pity and interest in breaking that shell of his. maybe she's just a dumb, easily-forgiving girl who's falling for his physical magnetism and the version of himself in her head, but reciprocated feelings or not, she thinks she might just stand a bit lighter if they manage to seal up their feud and put it behind them— in lieu of avoiding the ugliness and letting it loom over her past like a stubborn ghost.

shaking her head, juju lifts her hands in a shrug. "hey, i'm not saying to go and do it whenever! just... wait until it's the right time."

y/n's tense shoulders drop.

_the right time._

of course. the universe wouldn't want to make something easy for once, would it?

* * *

the afternoon sky rumbles with the warnings of oncoming rain.

beneath the clouds, leo and ursa size each other up over mowed turf. the teams have already been equipped with shin guards and jerseys— most of them having removed their t-shirts beneath the sleeveless garment, as the rising humidity threatens them with pools of sweat.

"you need the right stick for your height in field hockey, so head to the rack over there and find one that comes to the top of your hip," the counselor points to a pavilion at the other end of the meadow. "leo first."

together, leo approaches the little wooden structure.

once inside, their shoes pad along the concrete until they can pick at the seemingly endless array of hockey sticks.

iwaizumi repeats the process of raising them to his stature, returning the ones that are too big or too small to the pile with a clatter. while reaching for another, his wandering eyes accidentally land on oikawa. he's resting against one of the foundation poles, arms crossed as he watches the ursa specks in the distance.

his glare is intensely studying, entirely focused on the team like he's waiting for some surefire way to beat them to be written in the air above their heads.

clearing his throat, iwaizumi turns back to the equipment. "you get a stick yet, oikawa?"

there's a beat of silence before oikawa's low, distracted voice mutters, "yeah." he shifts the weight on his legs. "yeah, i got one."

iwaizumi hums. opening his mouth, he glances to his figure again. staring at the crinkled eight below his broad shoulders, halfway hidden behind the beam, he asks, "remind me what their points are?" he lowers his brow, certain that knowledge hasn't slipped oikawa's mind.

"fifteen."

without giving him a chance to reply, he drops his arms to his sides and approaches the rest of the team. "we can't let them win today. we need to stay ahead if we want to make it to the end."

kindaichi lifts his head. "we can still make it if they tie with us after today." he claims the stick in his hands, keeping ahold of it. his tone is questioning, while also harboring a hint of insolence. "i mean, it's happened before. i don't think it would be that big of a deal."

eyes flitting up at his protestation, oikawa's attention diverts from grabbing his own stick, straightening as it still sits against the railing. "so you think we should just hand them the game?"

squinting, kindaichi shakes his head. "what? no, all i'm saying is—"

"—we should just hand out fucking morale boosts like candy?" testily, his voice begins to raise, teetering on the edge of a shout.

going quiet, kindaichi's lips tighten. a crease forms in his brow; he looks like he wants to counter, but that's hard when you know the other person's right.

with a sunken expression, iwaizumi lets out an incredibly exhausted exhale. "guys," he scolds, not bothering to look up from what he's doing. the stress from fending off the tension between these two is enough to age him twenty years— he's pretty sure he'll come out of this looking like they're his grandkids.

maybe they're both too headstrong, the rein on their orneriness much too loose. the camp must've glossed over that while deciding their unit, as two people as such clearly can't cooperate without participating in a horn-locking debate beforehand. it's like a constant battle of whose word is more important; whose say. at this point, iwaizumi's just glad he's not stupid enough to buy into their hierarchy clashes.

volume dropping again, oikawa side-eyes kindaichi before finally taking the wooden item in his grasp. "get your head out of your ass. there's a difference between struggling to keep the lead at the start of the month versus now." he bounces the stick off the ground vertically, making it pop up so that he can catch it near the center.

with that, he leaves. slowly tailing him, the others exchange glances that silently curse kindaichi for putting him in a bad mood.

soon, they all meet back up on the field. once ursa has the equipment they need as well, they warm up with a short practice round, which mostly consists of how to move the ball.

when the counselor calls for the start of the match, oikawa spots bokuto, who's alone while heading to regroup with his team. he gives a brief, attention-catching whistle, causing him to stop and look his way.

bokuto's growing, greeting smile falters once oikawa opens his mouth.

"good luck today," he chirps through a grin, one that'd appear friendly had it not been for the daggers in his eyes. "you seem like a bit of a brute, so remember to keep your hands to yourself."

a gust of wind blows between the opposing figures, both remaining unwavering as the air yanks on their hair and jerseys. shoulders giving off the slightest slump, the slightest tell of self-consciousness, bokuto raises a hand to scratch the back of his neck. “uh...”

"wouldn't want any fouls now, would we?" oikawa pops his mouthpiece in, baring his teeth again through the translucent, cyan material.

watching as he walks off, there’s an upward pull to bokuto’s brows. "... right,” he mumbles.

bokuto's potential in carrying ursa to victory had not snuck beneath oikawa's nose. he knows very well the threat he poses, and he intends to shut it down at any opportunity.

with the lingering worry of committing a foul on his mind— an inevitable hindrance, the decline of his performance will follow suit.

 _surely_ , oikawa thinks, _it will follow suit._

so why is it that when the game starts, it's _him_ being called out instead?

"oikawa!"

" _oikawa!"_

" _OIKAWA!"_

there's an ache in his shoulder where he accidentally collided with a member of ursa, who in turn took a stumble and nearly brought him down with them.

walking onto the field for what must be the hundredth time, the counselor takes place in front of him, his hands on his hips. "do i have to take you out of the game completely?" he asks, an irritated hiss to his tone.

oikawa's eyes widen slightly, giving a gentle shake of his head. "uh, no sir. it was an accident— it won't happen again." he rubs his tender muscle.

the counselor studies him for a moment before exhaling. "it better not. this is your final warning." his arms swing down to his sides, stepping to the sidelines once more.

thunder rolls through the atmosphere, rattling oikawa's bones. heaving, he looks up from the blades of grass by his shoes, meeting iwaizumi's eyes.

from across the centerline, his friend sends him a bewildered expression.

he knows exactly what he's thinking, and he couldn't answer it even if he tried. it's an obvious, 'what the hell, man?', added to the partial hurt from wondering whether he's doing this on purpose or not— which, he most definitely is not. it's an out-of-character assumption, but what else can he assume at this rate?

the first cold, tiny droplets sprinkle out of the sky. as everyone goes to get in position, oikawa's gaze flits to bokuto again.

his reminder earlier seems to have served as just that— a reminder. not an ounce of anxiety has exuded off of bokuto since the game started, yet oikawa's mind has been overbearingly riddled with such.

he begins to question if maybe, just maybe, he's more concerned about him than he previously thought. the summit is where he’s home, but bokuto's nearing reach is beckoning for his crown, and the proximity is getting more and more distracting.

it feels as if he's given mere seconds to twist fate, and before he knows it, the first half of the game is gone, along with the second. they slip through his fingers like water— like he never had a hold of them in the first place.

time stops when the counselor's whistle pierces the air, causing ursa to explode into a celebratory huddle.

oikawa halts in the middle of the field. heavy breaths force through his slack jaw, his chest springing rapidly. hair sticks to his forehead from the rain, which slides down his body and mixes with the dirt and sweat.

at this point, everyone is soaked, but only one of the teams really notices.

the disbelief on his features twists. he lets out a growl and rips his mouthguard from his teeth, throwing it to the ground. the item lodges into the mud where he leaves it; his teammates stepping over it as they follow him with defeated slumps.

* * *

at dinner, y/n continuously finds herself looking back at leo's table.

the boys' hair are still stringy and damp from their showers, their clothing freshened and new. oikawa stares down at his plate, expressionless, not participating in the socialization happening around him.

she plans to try to speak with him later— just a short conversation to start. perhaps she'll ask him about his day, or whatever kind of nonaggressive small talk she can imagine. best-case scenario, it'll trigger the first domino, and they won't have to work too hard to make amends.

the more she watches him though, the more she begins to ponder: is today the right time?

he seems so... absent. whatever thoughts are going on in his head are perfectly hidden from the outside world, and that worries her.

abruptly snapping her back to reality, a familiar voice makes her ears perk.

turning, she sees bokuto squeezing through the aisles to get to her. “y/n! hey!” he beams, speaking over the sounds of the full dining hall.

smiling, she greets him.

he forces his way onto the bench beside her, leaning on the tabletop. “hey, what are you doing tonight?”

her lips curve downwards slightly. letting out a long hum, she replies, “i haven’t decided yet. why?”

“oh, great!” he doesn’t realize as he pushes against the table, making everyone’s glasses shake. “so, there’s a movie tonight at tiki hill; they’re projecting it onto that huge rock out there, and it’s gonna be so awesome—“

she knew this was coming. why didn’t she just lie and make up something to be busy with? it’s not that she doesn’t want to go, it’s that she _did_ have plans... ones she wouldn’t like to announce.

“—and i was wondering if you wanted to go with me?” bokuto finishes, watching expectantly with a wide grin.

eyes darting across his features, she wishes she could let out a sigh. how can she say no? he’s a good friend of hers, and he wants to spend time together.

mustering up a smile, she chimes, “yeah. that’ll be fun—“

before she can reach the end of her sentence, he’s wrapping his big arms around her and letting out a disruptive, “YEAH!” that turns a few heads.

while laughing at his antics, she peeks over his bicep, reflexively looking in oikawa’s direction again.

this time, he’s looking _her_ way, too. there’s a small parting to his lips as he observes the scene in front of him, not bothering to avert his gaze when she notices it.

after a second, his mouth pops shut, and there’s a tenseness to his jaw as he peers down at his food once more. the grip on his fork seems to tighten as well, a vein or two protruding from the top of his hand.

all of this and the deepening of his brows is subtle, but she catches it.

eyes trailing back to bokuto after he releases her, she gives an awkward chuckle. maybe spending the rest of the day with him is for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha gotty. u guys actually thought the convo would be this chap 🤓📸 thats going in the cringe compilation
> 
> nah im totally playing LMFAO im sorry FHDKFNFK itll be in the next one. i was going to combine them but then i was like “naw that mf would be like 4k-6k words long” and i didnt want to cut this one cuz it’s kinda necessary 🤾
> 
> also on a side note can i get a little sap w yall? i rlly do appreciate u guys fr 🙏🏻 i rlly love to write and im so glad u guys are enjoying it as well (at least i hope u still are LMAO!!)


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> little heads up: when the paragraphs switch to italics (the flashbacks) the content might be upsetting to some!!

tiki hill— they say the grandfather of one of the camp's founders is buried near here. in his memory, they play his favorite movie whenever the anniversary of his death comes around.

whether it's a load of bullshit or not is up for interpretation, y/n supposes. though, if it's true, she does think it's a bit silly for them to play a rom-com in his name.

to each their own?

under the starry, clear sky, bokuto unravels a blanket for them to sit on. it shields their clothes from the wetness left by earlier rain, while also providing a bit of cushion.

kneeling on it, y/n kneads her brows. the material is very familiar; the dull, blue color visible under the projector light. she glances up at him sitting beside her, his legs crossed as he digs into his bag of skittles.

"is this... the blanket you sleep with?" she asks. it's perfectly identical to the ones her cabin uses.

chewing, he looks at her wide-eyed for a moment before registering what she said. "oh! yeah," he answers nonchalantly, as if he really doesn't mind using a muddy, soaked duvet to keep him cozy.

stunned, her gaze darts across the ground like she's looking for his reasoning. "you know you could've just gotten a towel, right?"

without turning, he shrugs. "yeah, i know. i thought the blanket would be more comfortable though—" he spills another handful of colorful candy into his mouth. "—i don't really use it anyway. i get too hot."

she blinks before nodding, finally swiveling off of her knees to sit. his statement is a little unbelievable, especially considering how low the temperature can drop when the sun goes down— they're lucky they skipped out on the frigidity tonight, as it'll probably be the last night with decent weather for the rest of the month.

he really must be that warm of a person, inside and out.

after a bit more waiting and sharing snacks, the white light of the projector flashes a few times. once the movie displays on the large boulder in front, the sound cuts into the speakers.

the pre-movie chattering ceases and it goes quiet for the most part— excluding the noise from bokuto opening another bag of junk food.

about thirty minutes in, y/n realizes that the film is... not that great. no offense to the old, dead guy or anything, but enemies to lovers? really? she props her elbow on her knee to hold up her chin. disinterestedly, her eyes gloss over while still staring at the projection, the scenes flickering against her irises.

zoning out to save her sanity, she lets her mind wander; which, at this point, is always a bad thing. the most popular topic lately seems to be oikawa, who's become a plague on her thoughts.

the worst part is that most of the memories of him aren't good ones, either. she just can't lock them away yet— not until he can fully prove to her that he won't backpedal into making them a reality again.

her physical being frowns as the incorporeal version in her head has to relive one of these reminders.

_y/n walks down the hallway, passing walls laced with large, open windows that encourage natural light. today, she has a big presentation to do. it's worth thirty percent of her grade— which is important, as she's not doing the best in the class._

_though, it's safe to say that she's going in with confidence. she studied for countless nights beforehand, determined to improve._

_even now, she's making sure she gets there early enough to give everything a final looking over. the teacher won't mind._

_stopping in front of the classroom door, she pushes it open, sliding her backpack off her shoulders. she sits the bag on her desk, sifting through her notes._

_then, she hears the creak of the door behind her. that's strange, she thinks. who else planned on coming early?_

_turning her head, her heart sinks._

_"oikawa?" she tries to hide the rising nervousness in her voice as the tall boy enters, another figure following closely._

_before meeting her eyes, he gives the room a quick scan. once he's finished, he hums contently, approaching her._

_"w-what are you doing? you aren't in this class." her body stills, completely forgetting about reviewing her work._

_sliding onto the desktop beside hers, his shoulders slump leisurely. "i came for a favor." he smacks his gum with a sly grin. the other boy— one she's never met before, leans against the teacher's desk at the front._

_her gaze shifts between the two. taking a step back, her brow furrows. "...what?"_

_sighing, he mockingly entertains the idea that what he's about to ask actually pains him. "i really need some cash."_

_"c-cash?" she sputters loudly. although, she knows better than to protest. a moment passes, and she murmurs defeatedly, "...how much?"_

_after leaning to catch the softness of her tone, he sits up again— the material of his clothing adjusting slowly, ominously. the amount of time it takes him to answer makes her think that he didn't even have a set number before now._

_the smile on his face falters, his expression blank as he cocks his head slightly. "fifty."_

_at first, she reckons he's joking. when he doesn't budge, her eyes go wide. "... dollars?" she questions with emphasis, trying to help him see just how ridiculous this 'favor' is._

_the desk legs groan as he stands. he rests his palm beside her bag, head tilting to meet her gaze. "yeah. like, now."_

_she feels sick at his change in attitude— but what she's about to say next almost makes her hurl on the spot._

_"no."_

_oikawa's brows lower, the crease between them getting more and more prominent as her response rings in his ears._

_lips tight, a tremble spreads through her body. while she fears him, her money is something that she works hard for— surely, she can endure whatever reprimand he has in mind._

_"what?" he blinks, sporting a subtle look of surprise. glancing to his friend once, he echoes, "no?"_

_at this, she doesn't say anything._

_steadily, he straightens. with a few long, rhythmic strides, he repositions himself behind her. she swallows as he brushes strands of hair away from her cheek, bringing his mouth closer. "you know i wasn't asking." he speaks calmly, almost a coo._

_squeezing her eyelids shut, she lifts her head to the fluorescents just to wonder, 'why? why is this happening right now?' then, a loud clatter causes them to fly open. she doesn't get a long look at her bag on the floor before her head is slammed down to the desktop._

_he has one hand knotted in her hair and the other keeping her arm twisted back. "give me the fifty dollars, and i'll let you go," he says as if she's being unreasonable— as if it's her fault she's struggling against his hold right now._

_the wood is cold on her cheek. she feels entirely helpless, especially since most of the room is no longer in her line of sight. whimpering, she lifts her legs to kick him to no avail._

_watching her insist on being defiant, his eyes flit to the contents spilling out of her backpack. "what's that?" he gestures with his head, making his friend kneel down to observe the papers._

_hearing the sound of her notes being fumbled with, her glassy eyes widen. "n-no! no, don't touch it!" her efforts to push him off increase tenfold._

_he grunts notably at her reaction. "tear them."_

_she inhales sharply. the tears begin to fall once the first page rips down the middle, being reduced to tons of little, separate pieces. "no!" she cries. "w-wait, stop! i'll give you the money!"_

_emotionlessly, he forces her to sit and listen as the rest of her presentation gets torn to shreds, ignoring her pleas to the very end._

_once the classroom goes silent again, he clears his throat. frozen, she stares at the wall in disbelief as he lets her go._

_"maybe next time you'll think twice about telling me no, yeah?”_

_sticking his hands in his pockets, he waits by the door for her to recollect herself. "now, clean that shit up before the teacher gets here."_

_with that, both boys leave, the latch clicking behind them._

she winces. after that happened, she had to choke back tears while telling the teacher that she didn't do the assignment.

she failed that class.

next to her, bokuto lets out a cackle that makes her jump. quickly glancing over, she realizes that his eyes are still glued to the movie.

blinking a few times, she shakes her head. with a lean, she mutters by his ear, "uh. i'm gonna go pee. i'll be right back."

he nods distractedly. "alright. i'll be here."

avoiding stepping on other people's towels and blankets, she walks down the hillside, following the gravel path back to camp.

give or take a few minutes, and the bathhouse is in her sights.

toilet flushing behind her, she leaves the stall and heads for the sinks. the nobs squeal as she lets the lukewarm water out of the faucet, giving her hands a good scrub with the apple-scented soap.

shaking off the excess, she glances up at the mirror. there's a crack across her face, and the corners have a bit of blurry, built-up gunk on them.

she squints.

_the final bell rang about forty minutes ago. y/n treads through the empty halls, books in hand. she really wishes her math teacher wouldn't task her with things at the end of the day— his excuse is always, 'you're the only one i can rely on', but that doesn't make the half-an-hour conversation beforehand necessary._

_she chews her lip. he's always been a bit of a creep._

_at the end of the corridor, there's a stairwell that leads to the lower floor of the school. resting against the wall at the top step is oikawa; iwaizumi standing across from him._

_they're probably waiting for volleyball practice, she presumes._

_approaching, her steps begin to stagger— but as soon as oikawa sees her, he interrupts their conversation and beckons iwaizumi to follow him downstairs._

_it almost seems like they're avoiding her, but she doesn't linger on the thought for too long. she prefers that to being tormented._

_while she makes her way down the first set of stairs, her eyes lift to the large, decorative mirror on the wall. it hangs above the platform of the 'U' shaped staircase, serving as a beautifully expensive way for the school to flaunt its wealth._

_then, what was supposed to be a short, passing glance turns into a stare, though not as an act of vanity._

_in the reflection, she spots a face opposite the wall to her left— the entity sticking close to the railing in an attempt at not being seen._

_rotating quickly, she's met with a figure jumping out at her, shouting like a monster._

_she screams, the items from her hands scattering to the floor. as they drop, she slips on one of the book covers, causing her to stumble backward._

_there's a loud crack, and everything goes still. at this time, she recognizes the one standing in front of her as oikawa— a monster still, but not the kind she imagined._

_a few steps below him is iwaizumi. neither of them move or speak. instead, they just gawk at whatever is behind her head._

_heart still pounding in her ears, she slowly turns._

_wide eyes study the long, deep crevice parting the mirror in two. the diagonal crack reaches from corner to corner, a devastating amount of damage to the pricey object. her insides churn, and she accidentally tears a book page while retracting a step in shock._

_she hears iwaizumi spit, "oikawa, you fucking moron! i told you we should've just left her alone!" his features contort in the broken reflection, staring at the back of the stunned boy's head._

_for a few seconds, oikawa doesn't react. then, his gaze shakily trails down to y/n. in a swift movement, his hand grips her shoulder and spins her around._

_"look at me," he says lowly, warningly._

_she gasps as he grabs her jaw, thumb digging into one side and fingers into the other. "we weren't here." he gestures to himself and iwaizumi. "you did this. you understand?"_

_her eyes dart around in his hardened glare before she nods rapidly._

_he lets her go in response, almost in the form of a shove. turning to iwaizumi, he hurries down the stairs, giving his sleeve a yank as he passes him. "let's go."_

_iwaizumi sends her one last, sympathetic glance before fleeing the scene as well._

she got suspended for a week after that.

frowning, she begins to wonder if it's worth taking a liking to him at all— not that she has any say in the matter.

there are many more experiences like those, so many she probably couldn't count them. even when he wasn't around, he still found ways to break her down; the number of times she spent silently crying in her room after school is embarrassing.

but, perhaps these memories didn’t resurface with ill intent. after all, the contrast between now and then has a brighter spotlight now.

past oikawa looks pathetic beside the current version of himself, who has all the capabilities of tearing the juvenile apart. although, she supposes the real question is whether he'll acknowledge those capabilities or not.

readjusting her hair, she lets out a deep exhale.

one way or another, she's going to rid herself of the burden he's left on her back.

her boots clack against the scratched tiles, heading for the exit. just as she turns the corner, her eyes land on oikawa himself. he’s leaving the boys' bathroom, their strides in sync until she stops dead in her tracks.

if you could summon the devil with a thought...

luckily, he doesn't seem to have noticed her. he keeps walking, his soles crunching as they drop from the concrete to the gravel.

as he gets farther and farther from the artificial light, she feels a bubbling in her ribcage, a kind of urge to call out for him.

frozen, she panics. she can't do that, what happened to _the right time?_ wait, what if the right time is now? she doesn't even have anything to say—

"oikawa!" she greets softly.

under the white of the moon, he slows. turning with a confused knit to his brows, he looks around for the person trying to get his attention, eyes eventually landing on y/n.

it's like she's held hostage in her own body as her legs move his way. with every painful step, she wishes she would've just waited, but it's much too late now.

he examines her with a tilt to his head, an expression that she somehow chooses to ignore. a scowl could be his default look by now, for all she knows.

once she's standing in front of him, watching him peer down his nose at her, she suddenly feels very small. has he grown? has she shrunk? where's this imaginary distance come from?

it's a disheartening feeling— one that she hasn't experienced at his hand for a while. nevertheless, she doesn't back down. perhaps the dark is making her brain interpret things that aren't there.

"i—um," immediately, she curses herself for the detrimentally weak start, hoping she hasn't just doomed this entire encounter. "there's a movie playing at tiki hill. i'm heading there right now. do you want to... come with?" those last two words force a cringe out of her so powerful she fears her face will get stuck. the foreign feeling lingers on her tongue, and she questions if she just committed a forbidden act.

then, she stiffens. did that come off as asking him on a date?

at this point, she's sweating profusely, her temperature rising to at least a thousand degrees. she wipes her clammy palms on her shorts. "i mean— i mean, not like—" her voice cracks.

she almost feels relieved when he lifts his chin and grins.

almost.

"oh, i see," he says slowly, letting out a laugh she can only describe as bitter. instantly, she notices the darkened glint to his eye, making her face fall. "did your little fuck-buddy bokuto ditch you?"

just like that, the atmosphere between them grows ten times thicker, suffocatingly heavy. she'd almost forgotten the sensation, one that she prematurely assumed ceased to exist.

those signs he was giving off minutes ago, the signs her body had been trained to recognize and was trying to _warn_ her of, were not illusory. instead of listening, she naively pushed them aside, and now she wants nothing more than to rewind.

it's interesting though, how in this moment, she isn't scared like she should be— but saddened.

"thanks, but no thanks. i've got enough whores on my plate already. you just don't really compare." as if the dagger he'd implanted in her chest wasn't deep enough, he twists it.

she takes a step back. "w-whore?" her voice is quiet and unsteady while she tries to figure out where he got that assumption.

"oh, yeah." he smiles. "and y'know, you should've told me you were getting passed around— i could've avoided all that shit with kindaichi." giving a disappointed shrug, he crosses his arms.

her bottom lip rakes in. this is familiar— his tone, his words, his posture, his aura— how is this any different from those memories of him?

it isn't.

she blinks repeatedly, trying to choke back the tears. despite her efforts, they drip down her cheeks anyway.

there's a tightness in her throat, shredding her up like barbwire. it's looking for release, winding and winding, she has to let it out—

"what the hell is wrong with you?!" she shrieks.

stunned at the sudden rise, his eyes widen. she rips that collected, arrogant demeanor of his from his grasp, shattering it against the ground.

"i've been beating myself up trying to give you the benefit of the doubt— trying to see the good in you!" she jabs her index finger against his chest. "but i guess i was just making a fool of myself because you haven't changed at all! you're exactly the same!" her fists ball at her sides. "you're exactly the same—!" she repeats louder, as if making sure herself is well aware, too. then, her eyes squeeze shut to scream in his face, "— _and i hate you!"_

after her screaming-fit, there's a beat of silence. he studies the pure, raw resentment she's radiating, having never been exposed to this side of her before. dropping the limb he raised as a barrier, his features twist and mould to match her energy. "why the _fuck_ would i let _you_ see the 'good in me’?!"

"why the fuck not?!" she throws her arms out. "all these years you've treated me like shit, and i don't even know why!"

"what do you mean you don't know why?!" his eyes dart across her face rapidly, filled with frustration and anger. advancing on her quickly, he lifts his hands and they twitch hesitantly; the first thing she assumes is that he's considering choking her out. "because— you fucking—!" he stutters, perhaps in deteriorating restraint. "you—!"

now frightened by the implications of his actions, her pupils contract slightly, face hollowing in a ghostly manner. she makes the first footfall to move away, but his palms wrap around her cheeks and pull her back.

her eyes go inhumanly wide as she stumbles forward into a kiss.

his hold keeps her steady, securing their lips together. his breath is warm and heavy against her skin, loudly blending with her own.

only a few seconds pass before he departs. though, his hands linger on her face for a moment longer, as if he's not decided on letting her go yet. she almost doesn't see it in the shadows, but he looks at her like he's anxious— conflicted? it's a complicated mix. although, she's pretty sure her own expression matches it.

just as she notices his head inching away and the grip on her jaw softening, she swallows hard.

in a split-second, mindless decision, she softly connects their mouths again. it catches him off guard, but just as her eyes close, she notices his doing so as well.

he makes up for her lack in confidence by deepening the kiss for her, a bit less harsh this time. her shaky hands grip onto his wrists for support, as she feels her legs might just give out if she doesn't.

like magic, the loathing and abhorrence melts away, the only thing concerning her now being how he tastes. it's hard to equate it to something— it just tastes like _him_ , and she swears it’s igniting the first spark of an addiction.

she allows him to pull her closer with a hand to her lower back. a whine escapes her throat as their bodies make contact, breath hitching when he gently grinds against her.

then, just as it's beginning to escalate, he breaks them apart. although, it seems he doesn't enjoy the abruptness either, as the rest of him backs off before his lips do.

his cheeks harbor a hint of pink under the paleness of the moon. he stares at her, features hardened while clearly figuring out what to say.

she's not sure she remembers how to speak either— the moment feels all too surreal. did that just happen? was it a good thing or a bad thing? her skin's hot and there's a slight tremble to her knees; maybe she's overreacting, but she can't help it. all she knows right now is that her body's aching for him to do it again— _bad._

adam's apple bobbing, he eyes her up and down. through breaths, he mumbles, "...bitch." before wiping his mouth with his arm roughly.

unlike earlier, there's a weakness to his tone, one that doesn't sound nearly as insulting as he probably hoped.

with that, he turns and walks away, running a hand through his hair to recompose himself.

dumbfounded, she stands in the middle of the trail like a drunken idiot, hearing him mutter an incomprehensible jumble of words until she can't anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> never actually thought we’d get here 💀 this one be like 📉📈📉📈
> 
> also i realize i said the reason he’s so mean would come out this chapter— i think i did at least ?? but i read the days wrong djdkfnfk its actually the next one IM SORRY IM SO ANNOYING AHHLDNFOSDK LMAO
> 
> but as always long ass chapter here so any mistakes i might of missed i sincerely apologize 🙏🏻🧎


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> small emetophobia warning for this chap (mentioned, not described)

aoba johsai was, and still is, the closest thing to hell on earth.

on the outside, the school seemed just the opposite— well-maintained, high-level education, good resources. it was one of the schools you were considered lucky to go to, one that made others naively envious of you. in turn, this sprouted a heavy ego on most— if not all granted to attend. this sense of superiority infected and swelled on their beings like a tumor. at first, only those from beyond the walls were prejudiced by such, but it was just a matter of time before the self-proclaimed kings and queens began turning on one another.

a society will form given any large group of people, and with society comes unwritten standards and pecking order. whether such a thing is flawed or not depends on who you ask.

aoba johsai was undoubtedly flawed— plagued by flaws so deeply woven into the system, so deeply intertwined that once you came into contact with it, there was no way out. no cure, no end. this influence became a part of you, the severity of it discriminating against none.

heaven with residents as ugly as the devil itself is what oikawa tooru would call it.

detrimentally lacking in self-perception is what others would call oikawa.

although, they'd be wrong in doing so. oikawa is well aware of what he is and what he's done, and would just as much describe himself as he does his peers. that's one of the few places he considers they're on level ground, where they're equal.

he wasn't always so atrociously insensitive and cruel, but such traits are within any person, and the hierarchy war of aoba johsai was just the nurturing they needed to root as a disgustingly powerful weed; taking up all the nutrients of his personality and leaving his other attributes little to nothing to thrive off of.

after all, what need did he have for those sides of him anymore?

the only thing that mattered was to be the best, to be on top. who can look down on a person at the highest point? who can belittle and abuse someone who's above them?

none.

which is why, as soon as he caught wind of the never-ending cycle of bullying and intimidation he'd been thrown into, he made a promise with himself—

to never,

ever,

become the prey.

having a natural affinity for a sharp tongue, quick wits, and leadership, he found ease in climbing the totem pole. he was a force to be reckoned with, a formidable shift in the food chain. soon, he discovered that even the most savage of his peers would yield to him.

then, while he was comfy in the safety of his throne, garnering too much fear for any to dare overthrow him, a girl came along.

charming and charismatic as he was, he never had a shortage when it came to those vying for his attention— but they didn't interest him, not like how she did.

and for the first time in a long time, he had a weakness.

a crack in his crown.

* * *

aoba johsai, junior year.

the first time oikawa saw y/n was in the only class they had together— history.

she walks through the door, curious, aware; perhaps slightly timid, at which he almost tuts in pity. hopefully that's a temporary characteristic, or she won't make it long.

but aside from that, she's attractive— enough so to cause him to lift his bored head and give her his eyes, far longer than a glance.

for some reason, he's drawn to her, but in a way his ample selection of pretty faces hasn't seen before. the longer he observes her conversation with the teacher, the more he's teetering towards being engrossed.

his gaze follows as she walks over to her desk, cursing to himself when he realizes it's two rows ahead.

soon, the class is full. he almost misses her name while she introduces herself, as he's too captivated by the way the setting sun shines through the window and kisses the side of her face.

she stands, a little self-conscious about the new eyes on her— _how cute_ , he thinks— and graces the classroom with the lilt of her name,

_y/n._

he presses his pencil to his bottom lip, the corner of his mouth perking. with an acknowledging bounce of his brows, he lowers the object and fiddles with it in his spindly fingers.

he'll have to remember that.

the second time oikawa sees y/n, it's at lunch the next day.

she's easy to spot; he knows what he's looking for. although, their acquainting doesn't go quite as smoothly as he planned (approach, charm, get her number...), as a distraction rears its head.

if you were to ask him now, he couldn't tell you what the ruckus was about. just another altercation in the sea of hundreds he dealt with on the regular, probably something as childish as high school beefs go— someone bumped into him, made a provocative comment, he slept with their girlfriend— the list goes on, who knows?

at this point, it was common that people would test him, though they'd usually not get far.

except on this occasion. that is something he _does_ recall.

the argument escalates so that not a single person in the cafeteria doesn't know about it, calling for many heads to turn and watch. despite the only physical contact being a shove here and there, he hears one of the onlookers crying for a teacher. he'd mock and tease them for that later; maybe then they'd learn to stick to their own affairs.

ultimately, a teacher walking the halls catches onto the cries, pulling the two apart. oikawa gets off scot-free, as anyone would expect. he pins the whole thing on the other boy with ease, relishing in the look on his face after he realizes what kind of sly bastard he messed with.

there's something about being able to bend and twist the truth that produces such an unruly high. it's like being crowned life's narrator— what he says goes. he's considered that the joy it brings him may be a problem, but then again, it's only a problem if he lets it be, right?

by the time things settle, lunch ends. taking advantage of his height, he peers over the bustling crowd. he's like a stone in water as they slip by him for the door, his body stationary as he scans for a particular face.

eventually, he spots y/n by the tray-return across the cafeteria. her eyes are fixated on him long before he notices, and there's a doll-like stillness to her features.

he blinks, unsure how to read her. what does that look mean?

smiling, he lifts his hand in a gentle wave. much to his surprise, she doesn't return the gesture. instead, she quickly averts her gaze, heading for the exit as everyone else does.

catching his lips bending into a frown, he shakes his head. so what if she's a little standoffish? he's a boy of many talents— that shell of hers will be crumbling in his palms in no time, surely.

stubborn, determined force that he is, he decides he'll make his move after class later.

hours go by as he waits for their final teaching of the day, anxious to sink in his fangs. she occupies his thoughts in the meantime, distracting him even when she's not there. he can't help but be excited to know her, to figure out just what's so different about her.

when the anticipated event arrives, he stops her outside the door while they’re preparing to leave.

she halts abruptly as he sidesteps in front of her, nearly dropping the books in her hands. furrowing her brows, she makes repeated attempts to walk past him, but he continues using his body as a barrier.

"woah, woah—" he laughs, raising his arms in a calming manner. "what's the rush?"

staring, she tightens her mouth into a fine line. "i'd just... like to get home, i guess."

he eyes her curiously, wondering what it is that's got her so distant. "... i see." perhaps the stress of being a new student is getting to her. she doesn't seem to have made any friends yet, after all. "well—" he sticks his palm out, a tilt to his head. "if you don't already know, i'm oikawa—"

after studying his reach, she hesitantly returns it. his smile widens at the softness of her smaller hand in his own.

"— and i'd like you to think of this as the official start of our friendship."

her eyes flit up from his grasp, sending him a tense expression. the books in her opposing hand squeeze against her chest a little tighter.

his grin slips at the edges. what's she looking at him like he's crazy for?

she wriggles from his hold. with a clear of her throat, she looks down to her shoes. "uh, okay. i've got to go now," she says, sneaking past him.

he watches as she slides between him and the wall, gaze following while she heads further down the hallway.

scratching the back of his neck, he squints in thought. she's a strange one, that's for sure— but that just makes her so much more interesting, doesn't it?

they share countless more encounters as weeks pass, mostly because he finds himself making time to speak to her. it's intriguing how she fights his charm where others would give; that's what keeps him coming back for more.

something about oikawa is that he enjoys a challenge, especially when victory is so foreseeable. she's reserved around him, that's true, but he can see the way she flusters when he's near, and her small, hidden smiles are hardly as hidden as she thinks.

eventually, she speaks a little more, a little more friendly— but not as much as he'd like. she just won't open up, and he can't wrap his head around _why_.

during one of the nights when he wakes from a dead-sleep, rolls over, and endures the pain of his phone's brightness to check for any spontaneous texts she may have sent, he laughs.

he scrolls through his wall of notifications and finds disappointment with no traces of her. returning onto his back, he lets the bitter, defeated noise escape his throat. his eyes trace the blankness of the ceiling, listening to the sound of the fan whirring above him. he wonders what he could possibly be doing wrong.

the worst part is that if anyone could see him now, they'd say he's entirely head over heels. entranced. a swooning fool, if you will.

and they may be right, but he'd never admit it.

with that in mind, he notes the strangeness of being on the opposite end. he's not sure he likes it too much.

the duvet shifts around his figure as he rolls over, this time to the other side of the bed. the streetlights outside shine through his curtains, illuminating the wall in front of him. using distraction as a method to fall asleep, his attention lands on the calendar swaying gently in the breeze of the fan.

he squints, trying to read the bold letters written a week from now.

in red pen, 'P R O M' stains the page.

he plops onto his back again with a groan. palming at his eyes, he bares his teeth in a tiresome wince.

he completely forgot about prom next week.

it's not like he can just skip out on it. prom has always been talked up pretty big at aoba johsai. to most of the assholes there, the only reason someone wouldn't go is because they're a loser that couldn't get a date— and god forbid oikawa gave off such an impression.

after a moment of whining about having to keep up his reputation, his hands slowly slip from his eyes, fingers resting on his cheekbones as he stares in realization.

maybe, just maybe, the issue with y/n is that he hasn't been coming on strong enough. after all, that's the only thing he's changed to his approach— he's been careful, tip-toeing as to not scare her away.

he never took kindly to stalling with others, and they stay wrapped around his finger even when he has no use for them anymore.

that must be it, he concludes. in all his years of being a bachelor, he's somehow allowed an error in his technique.

now, what's more clear than asking her to prom?

* * *

the thing about promposals?

oikawa always thought they were fuckin' stupid.

after middle school, he vowed to never make the mistake of putting that much effort into something so vain again. in his eyes, anyone should be lucky that he even asked them to go at all. he doesn't need that extra oomph, as he already has all the flashy, persuading aspects of a promposal naturally.

but apparently, he owes younger him an apology, as he's currently sitting in class thinking up an endearing way to ask y/n.

this turning point occurred after he tried to consider how she'd feel seeing everyone else's fanciful, extravagant requests (with everyone trying to outdo one another and all) and then getting no such thing from him. no date of his will be left feeling unfulfilled, and she's made it obvious that his charisma alone doesn't cut it.

he's still not really sure why he lets that slide.

the tap of a plastic ruler bounces off his head, forcing him back into reality. blinking, he looks up at the teacher standing in front of his desk. "your test is still blank, mister," she says lowly in the room of concentrating students.

glancing down, he realizes that she's right. although, it hasn't been that long, has it?

"you've used up thirty minutes of your hour so far."

he purses his lips for a moment.

sending her a smile, his pencil wags in his fingertips idly. "ah, sorry about that," he laughs, faker than the politeness on his tongue. "you wouldn't mind giving me an extra fifteen minutes, would you?"

opening her mouth, presumably to scold him before succumbing to the apologetic look on his face, she sighs. "oh, alright— but no longer than that."

he nods as she walks away. "i appreciate it, ma'am."

features immediately hardening, he rests his elbow on the desk and runs a hand through his hair. his fingers grip at the chocolate strands in contemplation, but not regarding the test.

if he's going to do something for y/n, it has to be the best out of all of them— something the entire school will remember forever. just the mental picture of their jealous, envious faces makes him giddy.

on top of that, she'll be his, and they'll _all_ know it.

later, he meets up with iwaizumi at lunch. most of the school is already seated when he arrives, making the cafeteria a loud, jumbled mess. after grabbing his food, he walks through the gatherings of people, ignoring the mixed calls he's given.

taking a spot at the round table, he plops his tray down, making his friend flinch. "hey—?” iwaizumi acknowledges his presence, watching as he sits.

iwaizumi is probably oikawa's only real friend. he's never cared about popularity, reputation, or anything like that, he's always just liked oikawa for who he is— who he _really_ is.

"hey," oikawa greets back, distractedly. the wall of windows to his right accentuates his furrowed brow.

"why did the teacher hold you back so long?"

digging his incisors into his apple, he hums. "oh, extra test time." the piece of crispy fruit tears apart in his teeth.

leaning forward, iwaizumi tries to meet the eyes of the boy, who won't deviate from looking straight ahead. "what? that test should have been easy."

"it was."

"huh—?"

"if you were to do a big, annoying-ass promposal—" interrupting, he gestures to the entirety of the cafe, apple in hand. "—one that'd impress all of these bastards, what would you do?"

iwaizumi blinks, glancing down at his half-finished plate. a moment passes, and he squints at him questioningly. "why the fuck would you ask _me_ that?"

jamming a chunk of bread into his mouth, the crease in oikawa's brow hardens. "come on, can you at least try?" he chews.

resting back and crossing his arms, iwaizumi thinks. "well, considering everything in this school is a giant dick-measuring contest... i'd do something pretty eye-catching— like... flashy, i guess.”

"no shit." oikawa rolls his eyes at him, taking a sip of his milk. "but what is flashy _enough_?"

before he can answer, oikawa suddenly goes rigid as a thought enters his mind. his hunched-over spine straightens slightly, a widening to his gaze. "wait... the fall festival is a couple of days from now, right?"

every fall, the local park hosts a festival, bringing in decorations and rides to celebrate the season. just about everyone that lives near attends, and that includes most of aoba johsai.

some of the school's clubs are holding exhibits for fundraising this year, one of those being the photography club that y/n participates in a couple days of the week. that was all oikawa needed to know that she'd be there.

the only thing she has to do is be in the right place at the right time— and that quickly became iwaizumi's job.

"just make sure she comes to see the play."

the sky turns a pink hue as the two discuss the details of the plan, the spinning-teacups behind them creaking and pumping out hot-air as they come to a stop.

"what the hell are we supposed to do until then?"

"i don't know— buy her a funnel cake or something!" oikawa throws his arms out, hissing.

iwaizumi lifts his hand, palm facing up. oikawa stares at it for a moment before roughly digging into his coat pocket, retrieving a crinkly wad of cash.

closing his fingers around the money, iwaizumi stuffs it in his own pocket and turns away, his sneakers plodding in the grass.

"hey— spend some of that on her, you hear me! don't take all of it for yourself!" oikawa calls, watching his friend walk off.

just as he disappears around the corner of the ride, he replies dismissively, "yeah, yeah."

grumbling, oikawa heads in the direction of the outdoor stage. he wishes he could be the one with y/n right now, but if it's going to be a surprise, then this is how it has to be.

iwaizumi's always been the awkward type around girls, so there's no chance of her thinking they're on a date anyway. if anything, spending the evening with him will make her realize just how great oikawa is. she'll probably be dying to see him an hour or so from now.

he smirks to himself. that little aspect of the plan was unintentional, of course, but he still takes pride in it. it must've been the genius of his subconscious, after all.

wooden stairs creaking with his steps, he meets a man backstage, the sounds of the play just beginning.

having to pull out his wallet now, oikawa reluctantly pays. after the exchange, he peers into the empty leather, his features blank. "...what the hell is wrong with me?" he mutters before returning the item to his navy coat.

he takes a seat on a spare chair, his foot resting atop his knee. listening to the muffled noises beyond the curtain, his eyes close, a tinge of tension between his brows.

the play is about a princess and a prince who are in love despite being divided by their kingdoms. torn by the conflict, the princess seeks the help of a kind witch who can read her future in a cauldron, and is ultimately given the hope she needs to further pursue her lover.

oikawa reckons he could've written a better story, but the quality of the play only matters about half as much as everything else.

he wonders if y/n is in the crowd yet. is she critiquing it as harshly, too?

he'll take her to one that's more critically acclaimed sometime.

eventually, the end of the show comes near. the man he paid earlier, who he forgot was standing beside him, pats his shoulder roughly. "get ready."

brushing off the surprise of the man's presence, he walks over to the side of the stage, watching the conclusion take place. the only thing he was told was that he's supposed to go out on cue— he begins to question now if he should've looked into it further.

the clapping for the bowing actors ceases, and the lights dim momentarily before cutting back on. the witch returns from the side of the stage opposite oikawa’s, looking down into her cauldron. confused, the audience quiets and sits back down.

making a surprised noise, she peers out into the many faces. "oh my—" her ragged, black robe sways as she presses a hand to her cheek. "—i have another prediction stirring in my pot... but who might this be?"

caught off guard, oikawa grunts as he's shoved towards her with a hand to his back. stumbling to center stage, he squints at the blindingly bright lights as they contrast with the night. a few murmurs escape at his sudden appearance, no doubt from people who recognize him.

"oh! yes, i see now!" she looks into the plastic prop again, then to oikawa. "it is _you_ , young man!"

before he can speak, she continues, "your future is promising... but what is this? you’re not alone!" she quickly approaches him, and he examines her questioningly when she wraps around his arm. her finger directs him into scanning the audience once more. "in fact, i sense that your companion is in this very crowd!"

she tugs on him gently. "... who might it be, child?"

for a moment, he's quiet, wondering if he's allowed to answer or not. when she doesn't fill the silence, he narrows his eyes, attempting to sift through the onlookers.

the corners of his mouth twitch once he sees y/n and iwaizumi towards the back. loudly, proudly, he announces, "y/n l/n, ma'am."

"come forth, y/n l/n!" she repeats, throwing her arms in the air in a celebratory, welcoming manner.

the audience claps as iwaizumi grabs her by the elbow and unsticks her from her chair. she glances around, wide-eyed. they mutter something to each other before he sends her to the stage.

stiffly, she follows one of the stage-workers down the aisle.

once she's placed at oikawa's side, she goes frozen, staring awkwardly into the eyes of many.

despite the woman proclaiming loudly into her mic, she almost misses the witch's words in her stupor. "ah, yes of course! the perfect couple!" she motions to the duo. y/n studies oikawa's profile, mouth slightly ajar.

"my cauldron is displaying visions of you two..." she leans closer while mixing the pretend concoction, and y/n doesn't appreciate the suspense. "... as prom king and queen!" her hands clasp together as she exclaims, dropping the ladle.

tech members dressed in black run on stage from either side, bestowing shiny crowns to both before quickly retreating.

oikawa repositions the crooked object, but y/n doesn't flinch at the wonkiness of her headpiece.

applause erupts once more.

the witch waits for the noise to die down, a faux smile on her face. "so, will you two follow this path?" she asks quietly, watching them intently.

the question is clearly directed toward y/n, but for a long time, it's met with nothing.

prideful grin shifting into a gentler one, oikawa's gaze drops to the girl beside him.

noticing his irises in her peripheral, she slowly turns her head his way.

shocked, he blinks at the glassy appearance of her eyes— the hollow expression she's wearing. just as he's about to ask what's wrong, she sprouts a bitter smile.

"... you're fucking serious?" she mumbles. the sound picks up in the witch's mic, who flusters at the profanity.

he kneads his brows together, rotating his body towards her. "...what?" he asks weakly, unsure of how to react.

"are you planning on pouring pig blood on me or some shit?" she replies louder, angrier, and her voice cracks. there’s a few snickers from the audience, and her eyes dart back and forth between him and them. breath heightening in her chest, she finally shouts, "you're a _prick_!" before storming off stage.

now alone, oikawa's faced with a rise of murmurs and laughter from the crowd. his wide eyes sweep through it repeatedly, from familiar face to familiar face, phone to phone— all the way to iwaizumi, who looks just as shocked as he is.

oikawa runs after her, the crown dropping from his head with a clatter. hurrying down the stairs, he takes a moment to stop and search the overwhelming environment. the nearby rides clink and clank while passengers holler in joy or fear, the games flash and whoop for attention, vendors shout over gatherings of people. there's so much excitement, he begins to worry that she's long disappeared in it.

then, by some miracle, he spots her walking past a few of the festival stands.

jogging over, he reaches out and grabs her arm, spinning her around. she has a sour look on her face as she rips away from his touch. "leave me alone!"

studying the tears on her cheeks, he retracts a step before his own features contort in his body's trained response to hostility— hostility. "what the fuck—?!"

"listen, i should have told you this a long time ago, but i don't want anything to do with you! stay away from me!" she spits, leaving him no time to retort as she twists on her heels.

helplessly, he watches as she stomps off. she rubs her arms as a cool, autumn breeze blows through her jacket, letting out an occasional sniffle.

his shoulders slowly lower. when she becomes one in the sea of bodies, no longer visible under the multicolored lights, he notices the many heads turned at the scene they've caused. they judge and whisper about him— about the pathetic heap she's left him in for them all to see.

his stomach churns.

for every pair of eyes, the rate he inhales grows faster and faster. there's a ringing in his ears as he starts to hyperventilate, making his head feel heavy.

why is everything falling apart?

when will they stop looking at him like that?

what did he do wrong?

 _how_ could he have done something wrong?

giving the ground a long, ghostly stare, he stands awkwardly for a moment before doubling-over to vomit in the grass.

* * *

oikawa is well aware of how he's perceived.

after that night, he knew exactly how his image was tainted. he knew exactly what kind of power he'd given his classmates.

it's one thing to be rejected by someone you care deeply for, but to be humiliated about it in front of your peers? to experience such a drastic drop from the summit— to feel yourself flailing for any means of salvation just to hit the bottom anyway?

he's not sure what he did to deserve that reaction. to this day, there's still the occasional night when it keeps him awake. despite this, he never found out why. he needed a break from making a fool of himself, and being desperate for the attention of another is something he considered low.

that opening in vulnerability forced him into fighting tooth and nail for his dignity back— but the most surefire way to do that? he had to show everyone that he'd never, _ever_ withstand being treated that way.

eyes were on him, always. y/n had to be the example— what was coming to her was what would come to any other that'd cross him.

sure enough, he managed to grapple onto the peak of the totem pole again, even if it was just by the fingertips. in return, he kept y/n at the bottom, forcing her down with his heel to the back of her head.

their feud continued until they graduated, and for a while, the past was behind them. they moved on, at least as far as one could with a chain around their ankles.

although, the hefty weight of that chain could only be ignored for so long.

when he first saw y/n at camp— sitting in the dining hall, a few rows in front of him— he suddenly felt that weight with the entirety of his being. remorse, anger, and longing hit him all at once, stirring into an ugly, bubbling mass of emotion.

he's never been one to enjoy admitting his mistakes. not many people do, but for oikawa, it was especially hard. in his eyes, _she_ was the one that put their relationship in turmoil.

so, he grabbed his favorite, untouchable front, and picked up where he left off.

but after some time, he felt that front growing tired— worn. it didn't take long for him to realize what the culprit was.

the feelings he had for her never truly went away. he trained himself to force them down at one point, and for a while, he actually believed that they were gone. but just because something is hidden doesn't mean it's not there.

he began to wonder who he was doing it for anymore. aoba johsai was out of the picture. his fear of falling behind will likely always linger, but y/n was no longer coddling that fear. so what was the point?

slowly, hesitantly, he was letting the rope around her throat loosen— giving inch after inch, allowing the idea of release into her mind.

until he saw her and bokuto together.

the image of the two in each other's arms prodded at something in his brain, fueling that fear of his once again.

she never saw him as good enough.

that's why it wasn’t him in her embrace, wasn’t it? that's why she saw no problem with hurting him in such a brutal way, right?

it pissed him off— to think that he'd been so stupid to not see just how lowly she thought of him.

his front had rekindled, and he was beginning to feel like a walking explosive; just waiting to let out everything building inside.

when he and y/n had that argument, he snapped. although, when you open the floodgates, you can't pick and choose what comes out. it was either all or nothing.

he finally had to look his emotions towards her dead in the face, which included just how badly he wanted her— to kiss her, to touch her, to fuck her— it became more overbearing as the tension rose, more prominent. he hadn't even realized he acted on those feelings until he pulled away.

he felt terrible. he’d caved, given in to somebody that didn't want him.

in other words, he let himself look vulnerable. desperate. everything that he promised himself he wouldn’t become.

that's why he'd been so surprised when she kissed him back; when she didn't use those things against him like so many others would've.

he swore that at that moment, he felt a cog shift inside him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well. here it is LMAO. this isnt to excuse what he’s done, it’s just oikawa’s reasoning. he’s stupid af but he does have a reason behind bullying y/n lol
> 
> also i would just like to add PLEASE do not start crushing on ur bullies in real life 😭🙏🏻


	19. Chapter 19

y/n apologized to bokuto during breakfast, insisting that her reason for abandoning him was an upset stomach (of which he was understanding, obviously. he even offered to buy her a cola at the trading post).

she reckoned that the dark circles under her eyes and the sickliness to her skin really sold it, all thanks to her lack of sleep last night.

how could anyone expect her to? the person she swore hated her more than anything had just kissed her— _twice_.

there were so many questions darting around in her mind while she writhed under her blanket. the intangible voices were so loud as they screamed at her for answers, ones that she didn't have.

so, today, she was determined to get those answers; for both prevention of another sleepless night, and to smooth-over the turbulence of her emotions— like a palm to wrinkled silk.

this answer-seeking would take place after the day's activity, of course, which coincidentally involved leo and ibis.

the two teams stand lined-up in front of the obstacle course, observing the large structure constructed of wood and rope.

while the counselor explains the instructions, y/n can't help but give in to the desire to look oikawa's way.

without turning her head, her irises flit to the side. beyond iwaizumi and kindaichi, she spots oikawa's profile. he looks straight ahead, his face blank. his eyes follow the counselor, the brown hues collecting specks of sunlight as it shines through the canopy.

she almost pouts to herself. why does he look so composed? did last night mean nothing to him? he's so confusing. one moment, he'll seem like the most reactive person ever, and then he'll be the most apathetic the next.

"the time it takes you to complete the course will be added to your teammates' time. the team with the lowest time will be the winner."

y/n looks forward, the counselor's voice fading in again as she redirects her attention.

the pattern of runners on the course goes as such— one from ibis, then one from leo, repeat. the goal is simple, merely having to make it to the end as quickly as possible, but it seems easier said than done.

the course is designed to awaken the runner's peak athleticism. even at the start, the participant is immediately thrown into a steep, uphill climb, and it doesn't get any easier from there.

y/n feels a bit anxious. leo is probably the worst team to go up against for something like this.

it's one thing to have strength— which ibis isn't particularly lacking in— but to be athletic enough to utilize that strength? maybe a few of them has the ability, but what's a few compared to _everyone_ on leo?

oikawa and iwaizumi are the best examples. both of their bodies are sufficiently decorated in pure, lean muscle, while also being surefooted and coordinated on top of that.

it's like telling house cats to compete with panthers. their units are in two different divisions when it comes to such.

although, while house cats know exactly what size they are, an animal relatively small to most, that's never stopped them from convincing a dog that they tower over it.

perhaps it's too soon to solidify their loss.

the first to go is tendou. he struggles some when it comes to power, but he's pretty light on his feet. this quality saves him seconds— maybe even minutes when it comes to the wobbly, wooden steps suspended in the air. the bridge extends between two trees, and by the time he makes it to the second trunk, even the counselor is a little stunned.

"your friend's good at that," he says over the cheers of ibis, who watch as tendou nears the end of the course. "most have a hard time with the bridge."

leaning close to hear his praise, y/n nods proudly. she follows with loud clapping and hoots when the buzzer sounds, signaling the end of the run.

sweaty, tendou jogs back over to the group. he grabs his water bottle, breathing heavily through his nose while taking a drink.

the others leave pats on his shoulders or give a scruff of his hair as a way of approving his performance. y/n steps to his side, smiling. "i think you just saved our chances of winning," she notes the advantage of such a good start, how it cradles the team's morale.

"were those chances ever in peril?" his lips part from the nozzle, lifting a brow over a lighthearted grin.

y/n's face falls a bit. she glances over at oikawa preparing for his run, then back to tendou with a clear of her throat. "uh, probably not." she laughs stiffly.

the buzzer sounds again, and oikawa swiftly pulls himself to the first platform. he's agile, but not as agile as tendou. though he makes up for his lack of agility with upper-body strength, and their times end up being just a few seconds off.

despite their differences, they're somehow equal in the end.

she watches as he hops down from the course, his black sneakers hitting the grass with a thud. he stands tall and proud after his body absorbs the shock. wiping the sweat from his cheek, he smiles under arched brows; a signature look of cockiness.

while approaching his teammates, his eyes sweep sideways and land on y/n— presumably from coincidence, as his confidence seems to falter upon executing the action.

beneath the rays of the sun behind his head, his brows let up, and his smile becomes less sharp around the edges. he's not entirely telling on his emotions, but the change is enough to dull his expression. it's so subtle that it's unlikely anyone else has noticed— except for maybe iwaizumi.

he hasn't forgotten or discarded their kiss, he's just been concealing how he feels about it.

while this realization makes her want to talk to him even more, it almost scares her away at the same time. she fights off a pit threatening to form in her stomach.

it must be because she doesn't want those feelings of his to be _bad_ feelings.

despite that, she supposes you can only be happy with the idealistic form of something in your head for so long. reality will bite you in the ass sooner or later, so where's the sense in prolonging the truth?

good or bad, she'll be getting those answers.

about thirty minutes or so passes, and the morning sun ascends further in the sky. the temperature rises, but not in an overbearing way. it actually feels quite nice out today, between the breeze and the gentle warmth lingering like a hug on their backs.

y/n is one of the last few to go. kindaichi finishes before her, having done decently considering the disadvantage of his size. while walking to the start, she watches as he heads to the others, receiving many pats on the back (perhaps some a little too roughly from oikawa).

lowering to one knee, her heart-rate accelerates slightly while awaiting the buzzer, anticipation flowing through her veins like fire-y sparks.

with ibis' points at 15, and the leading units, ursa and leo, at 20, winning the 5 points from this activity would be ideal. they need to be neck-and-neck with those two to stay in the game. if they fall too far behind, they might not be able to make a comeback.

fingers resting on the ground, they grip at the sparse blades of grass tickling her skin. she takes in a breath, and before she can exhale, the timer begins counting the passing seconds.

she springs up, wrapping around the thick, tan rope hanging from the first platform. the worn, scraggly material irritates her palms as she inches upward, cursing herself for not being able to do it as fast as everyone else.

dragging her body onto the wooden area, she's met with a series of hanging bars. despite the anxiety-inducing distance from the ground, she realizes that she can't afford to hesitate after her slow start. it's a little frightening, but the idea of being the one to let her whole team down overpowers that fear. without thought, she latches onto the objects, dangling her figure over the net below.

hurrying across, she hears ibis cheering louder and louder. they can see the time on the counselor's stopwatch, she thinks. she must be doing good.

her legs shake when she lands on the other side, but she reckons it's from the rush of adrenaline and pride. _she just did that_ — she's pretty sure her brain blocked it out— _but she just did that!_

although, it's not over yet. in front of her is the bridge, its steps swaying with the wind.

wobbling over the planks, her hands tracing the rope on either side, she feels like her body goes on autopilot as she can't stop thinking about her accomplishment just moments ago, a dopey smile on her face.

for some reason, she gets a strong urge to peek oikawa's way. at this point, she's right in front of leo, and their blurry silhouettes are visible in her peripheral.

her head turns just slightly— does her doing well upset him? or could he maybe, someway, be happy for her?

while it might be expecting too much of him too soon, she hopes it's the latter that holds some truth.

though, much to her dismay, his face still carries no expression at all— damn him. he remains that way until she feels her leg slip between two of the wooden planks; his entire body flinches at the suddenness, crossed arms freeing themselves. she catches the widening of his eyes before looking down at the material scratching her thigh.

the net extends beneath the bridge as well, but it's scary to be rendered helplessly stuck due to a lack of solid, steady objects. the rope trembles under her grip as she tries to lift upwards, and the planks waver far too much for her to recollect herself.

well into her struggling, she realizes that she must've cost ibis the points already. her body grows tired and her fight diminishes, but she doesn't want to give up.

if she gets disqualified from the activity, leo automatically wins— if she gets time over, leo wins as well.

although, there's always the chance that she might still have time to recover, and that chance refuels her drive.

torso lunging forward, she reaches out and grabs onto the step two ahead of her, her tired fingers wiggling into place as she works to keep ahold of it.

letting out a breath, she repositions her opposing hand beside that one.

she settles for a moment in preparation to pull. with a heave, she yanks herself onto her stomach, the plank beneath her abdomen shaking at her imbalance.

then, she slithers onto the plank in her hands, giving her the option to bend her knees on top of the one behind her. the object swings with each failed attempt at getting her legs onto it, her knees suffering cuts and scrapes from the edges.

this continues until she finally succeeds in lifting one of the limbs to safety, the other following shortly after.

now, she doesn't have to use as much force to assist herself up, so the horizontal ropes remain steady enough for her to use. ibis, who had gone slightly quieter in apprehension, erupts into encouraging shouts upon watching her rise again.

speeding over the remaining half of the bridge, she stumbles on the final platform, the sound of the buzzer going off becoming the most relieving thing she's ever heard.

taking a few heavy breaths, she hops down to the grass, returning weakly to ibis. she can tell by their low-key, somewhat bittersweet celebration that she didn't make it in time.

tendou meets her halfway, walking her to the rest of the group with a palm on her back. "you did good," he says softly, reassuringly.

she doesn't respond, only watching the earth get eaten up under their strides. in doing so, she notices the small trickles of blood running down her knees.

after the last member of leo completes the course, they're awarded the points. they exchange hoots and whoops, smacks and pats, although the other boys don't seem to acknowledge the lack of energy from oikawa. he reciprocates, but in a way that doesn't match his teammates— like something on his mind is inhibiting his celebration, restricting his ability to be in the moment.

as y/n already discovered that it's likely to be her, she can't help but envy the way that it didn't hinder his performance earlier, unlike how she allowed.

perhaps today was the universe's lesson in not letting his approval—or lack thereof— distract her efforts.

the units are promptly sent on their way. they're given some time to clean up and shower before lunch, at which y/n realizes that oikawa probably won't agree to talk to her with so many people around.

she pouts slightly, peering down at the separated food on her tray. the best option is to wait until later tonight— but she's so tired of stalling and dancing around the matter like a couple of fools.

across from her, tendou crunches on a piece of broccoli. "what were you looking at today?" he chews.

"what?" she mumbles, vision clearing as her consciousness reenters the room.

"when you slipped on the course."

she purses her lips in the wake of an internal panic. "um... leo." her voice comes out hoarsely. "they were just being... distracting," it's only somewhat a lie, and it saves her the shame of letting them down over something so stupid.

biting the top off of another one of the green vegetables, he holds the stalk outside his full cheeks and scrunches his brows. "were they?" he looks at juju questioningly.

she shrugs. he seems to ponder for a moment before doing so as well, redirecting his attention to his food.

"i bet they were doing it on purpose. what a bunch of jackasses," he adds with an eye-roll.

y/n's gaze slowly lifts again. "uh... yeah."

* * *

the sun has nearly set, and y/n heads for leo's cabins. she figures that she'll just say one of the counselors would like to talk to him, or something along the lines of it. he'll have to come then.

though, while making a stop by the trading post, she hears a familiar voice at one of the tables.

her footfalls stagger to a halt, and her head peeks up the stairs to the deck curiously.

under the pavilion, in the soft hues of the decorative lights, is iwaizumi. after a moment, she realizes that kindaichi and a few of the others are there as well. she wonders if oikawa and the ones missing might be in the gaga pit.

she approaches the table, unnoticeable amid their conversation. as iwaizumi opens his mouth to speak in lighthearted retort, y/n taps his shoulder, causing him to cut himself off.

his face falls as he turns his head, taking in her sudden appearance. "y/n?"

her words almost cease to exist as the entire group quiets, their eyes sent her way. "uh, yeah— sorry to interrupt, but do you know where oikawa is?"

iwaizumi squints before turning back to the rest of the table. he's in obvious thought, bottom lip raking in as he tries to recall. "shit, where was it he said he was going?"

after a beat of silence, kindaichi grunts. "the grotto."

"... the grotto?" y/n's hands knead softly, idly.

"oh— oh, yeah, that's right. he said he had something to do." iwaizumi nods toward her, making sure she heard.

the corners of her mouth drop slightly. hopefully by 'something' he didn't actually mean 'someone'.

nevertheless, she gives a meek thanks. as she walks down the creaky stairs, the boys' previous banter picks up once more. they're always a bit loud when they're not concentrating on an activity or such, like their presence being known to those around them is important— even to the few that don't seem to care much for attention.

maybe that just comes with being a leo boy.

the grotto is a seating area toward the outskirts of camp. y/n's not sure why oikawa would be out there— it's usually only for staff meetings or religious purposes.

by the time she arrives, it's pitch black everywhere but under the rocky overhang where a few lanterns flicker. the stone benches are empty except for one, which supports a slumped figure that is unmistakably oikawa's.

she gives the area a scan, having only seen the small drawing of it on the trading post map. facing the wall, the seats bend in a crescent-moon shape around elevated footing, the podium on top of the area making her presume it's used as a stage of some sort.

to her left, the overhang extends into a cave-like opening, a body of water filling the entirety of it. LED lights beneath the surface illuminate the liquid a gentle blue, allowing the ripples from the dripping ceiling to be seen.

it's beautifully tranquil, y/n notes. it'll be a shame if the nature of her and oikawa's interaction disrupts that peace.

nearing warily, her sneakers pad softly under the chirps of crickets. she stops just in his blindspot, leaning over slightly. "...hey."

his hunched shoulders go rigid, head whipping in her direction and giving a wide-eyed look. his surprise leaves almost as soon as it comes, being replaced by a studying stare. after a moment, he turns forward again.

she watches his body relax. "um, can i sit?"

he shrugs. "do whatever you want."

stiffly, she lowers herself down next to him, an awkward distance away. it's quiet, and every second that passes makes her wonder if this was a good idea or not. the uncomfortable atmosphere is enough to make her want to drop dead.

her palms, which she previously folded in her lap, unravel to pick at one of the bandaids plastered to her knees. "what are you doing out here?" she dare ask, tearing through the tension. him being out here, all alone and staring at nothing for who knows how long, is kind of creeping her out.

her heart thumps at the sound of him sighing, his lips parting without words before he finally answers, "ah, i don't really know. i needed to get away from the guys, i guess." his voice is low and raspy.

"... is something wrong with your cabin?"

she sees him look at her in her peripheral, to which she reciprocates.

"something wrong with me being out here?"

her gaze traces the way the light runs over his face, decorating one-half of his features and seeping into the shadow on the other. it brings a brightness to his eyes, the tiny flame dancing inside of them. they stare at her half-lidded, maybe a little tired.

realizing how long she's gone without replying, she slowly turns away. "u-um, no."

he watches her a bit longer, lips pulling up to let out a chuckle before mirroring her actions. "now, what are _you_ doing here?"

"i came to talk."

a breeze blows through the trees on the path behind them, rustling the leaves loudly. she pushes her bare legs closer together. it's starting to get cold already.

"... alright," he mutters.

there's a beat of silence. y/n takes it as a sign to speak.

"i just, um—" she inhales. "—you've been confusing me lately. things... are not the same between us... and i'm glad about that, but i just can't keep going on without knowing _why_." she glances over at his profile, the hardness to his brow and glare to the ground painted by the lanterns’ orange glow. "why did you treat me the way you did?"

the question, which pissed him off before, is clearly having the same effect on him this time around. observing the growing contortion to his expression, she almost tells him to just forget it, but he finally meets her face and responds, "how long are you going to fake being dumb for? i find it hard to believe that acting like such a bitch towards me has slipped your mind so easily," his tone has reawakened, noticeably less indifferent than moments ago. the words no longer fall lazily out of his mouth— instead, they're pushed off his tongue with purpose.

stunned, y/n's eyes go wide, purely in disbelief of the audacity he has. is he trying to twist the story now? he can’t honestly think she’ll fall for his mind games anymore. leaning back, her lip curls. "what? when was i ever a bitch to you?"

"do you seriously not remember the play? when i asked you to prom junior year and you humiliated me in front of everyone?"

she digs deep inside to recall the memory he picks at, going speechless until it replays clearly for her. is that really the reason? is that really what all of this— all of her suffering has been about? in a way, she hoped that she somehow did something absolutely horrific to him, something that would better justify his actions.

but that was the reason? _defending_ _herself?_

standing roughly, she looks down at him and throws her arms out. "i do, actually— and you totally deserved that! that was such an awful fucking thing to do!" she can't tell if the shiver that runs through her body is from the decreasing temperature or having to relive that terrible night.

extending his neck to peer up at her, his hands drop from his lap and grip angrily around the edge of the cold, jagged bench-seat. "how the fuck can you say that?! i put so much effort and planning into that shit because i thought you would like it!"

a wide, bitter smile spreads on her face. "oh," she laughs, shaking her head. "don't fucking lie to me. you thought i would enjoy your little scheme to embarrass me in front of the entire school?" either he _does_ think she’s dumb enough to not see his attempts to distort their past, or he must have truly convinced himself he was the victim in an act of delusion. "bullshit."

surprisingly, oikawa doesn’t fire back immediately.

"wait—" his brow softens. fingers loosening, his mouth falls agape slightly. "... i wasn’t trying to embarrass you,” he mutters, volume dropping drastically. "i just liked you— and i wanted you to like _me,_ that’s it.”

y/n takes a step back, hostility faltering from confusion— shock. she knows she probably shouldn’t believe him, but something about the way he says it makes her want to.

he’s telling the truth.

he cocks his head to the side, squinting. "why would i do that to be a dick? i was always nice to you. i mean, we were friends up until that point, weren't we—?"

"no," she interrupts him bluntly.

a gentle crease forms between his eyebrows, lips pursing.

"maybe you thought we were, but i didn't." her eyes fall to the bench shadows stretching beneath their soles. "i saw how you treated other people. how was i supposed to know i wasn't another victim?"

she sees him drop his jaw to argue, but stops him before he can. "you were a manipulative asshole." the vivid picture of him snaking his way through truths in the cafeteria— the first time she witnessed what kind of person he was— materializes in her head. "and you were good at it. and you liked it. so when you said you wanted to be friends, i swore you were plotting something— because why would i be the exception?"

"but y/n...?“ he looks at her like he can't understand, and she realizes just how much he hasn't had to understand.

"i know you don't get it, but i've never thought of myself highly enough to feel exempt from that stuff." she sighs. "although, after a while, i tried to loosen up a little—“ frankly, she could only pretend he wasn’t at least a little bit enticing for so long. "— ‘cause maybe i was just being paranoid or something, i don’t know. but when you pulled all that at the festival, i figured i was right about you wanting to use me as a joke the whole time... and it made me hate you.” the mix of fear, anger, and anxiety from that experience doesn’t feel distant enough. it’s not easy to give someone a small, newborn trust and then watch them rip it apart like a vicious animal right in front of you.

her explanation points a new spotlight at the history between them, lighting up areas that change the narrative completely. he knew he’d been made into an antagonist, a villain, but he was okay with that as long as his motive made up for it; now, he just feels sick. the wheels finally start spinning in his head, and he’s fully compelled to go back in time and beat the shit out of himself. with a loud groan, he buries his face in his hands, elbows on his knees. his palms rub against his skin roughly, remaining hidden inside them. there's a lengthy pause before he drops his arms.

he doesn't look her in the eyes as he mutters his next words— he can't.

"y/n, i'm sorry."

they come out pained; it's hard for him, and they feel foreign from his mouth, but the sorrow he feels is greater. how do you come to terms with the fact that you made someone's life hell for something at your own fault?

from the very beginning, he doomed his chances with the only person he actually wanted to be with, all because of who he let himself become. he was stupid and assuming, unaware and insensitive. never once did the idea of her being afraid of him since the start cross his mind, his ego was simply too big to notice something like that.

if only they met sooner, when he was less corrupt. if that were the case, how much hurt could've been avoided? that realization is an act of cruelty itself— a teasing glimpse at something they’ll never have.

y/n's voice cuts through the thickness between them, "... i'm sorry too, i guess." sorry that things had to turn out the way they did— sorry on behalf of his mistakes, which in the end was a result of their inability to understand one another.

before he can say anything more, she inhales sharply. "i think i should go. i need some time to think." she replaces the melancholy in her tone with faux collectedness, which is a bit funny, she notes. she's used to being the one left emotionally hanging, not the other way around. maybe they've learned a few things from each other.

deciding against trying to make her stay, his eyes follow as her figure gets smaller along the path. her hands rub up and down her goosebump-ridden arms as a gust of wind pulls on her shirt.

"you don't have to forgive me." she hears him yell over the sounds of the night, stopping her dead in her tracks.

for a moment, it seems that everything goes still, even that the wind quiets in anticipation of her response. “yes i do," she calls back without turning, heading on her way once more.

that's the next step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMGMMGGMMGGM im sooo sorry ITS BEEN SO LONGG AHHH i just couldnt find the time IT WAS SO FRUSTRATING LOL
> 
> so thank u guys for being patient (at least trying to be lol ik how annoying it can be having to wait a long time for chapters 😩) a good thing abt this fic is that ive gotten more comfortable writing higher word counts but uhh bad thing is it do be kinda time consuming doe 🧍
> 
> also i promise we are not back pedaling after this point lol idk if it seemed that way but like almost every chapter after this has some kind of oikawa x y/n development so thats good news i hope 😎


	20. Chapter 20

the cold, semi-green lake water splashes y/n's face. she winces every time the movement from her arms sends ice-y beads flying to her dry skin, the areas unable to adapt to the temperature from the erratic exposure.

she touches the dock, making it clear to the lifeguard above that she's met the checkpoint. turning and pushing off of the wood, she attempts to give herself some distance.

on the shore ahead, two separate groups shout and express their excitement, one cheering for her and the other cheering for their own.

their own, a.k.a the boy to her left, has been giving her an exceptionally hard time. no matter her efforts to escape the uncertainty of the winning team, he's always right there with her— matching her speed and power. every time she peeks over her shoulder, she finds that he's keeping that uncertainty alive, too stubborn to just submit to _her_ stubbornness.

although, he's probably thinking the same of her.

she'd finally spoken to him properly today, as ibis and equus have only crossed paths a handful of times. his name is daichi; a kind, polite guy outside of competition. when she accidentally bumped into his back while distracted earlier, he merely shook her hand and laughed, making like it never happened. she was thankful for his ability to save them both from an awkward first encounter.

on the field, it's like that gentle soul of his clocks out for the time being. he's serious about giving it his all, and doesn't care whose feelings get hurt. in the end, the opposing teams are not his own— and when it comes to winning, one's team is the only thing that matters.

she supposes he's not far off from oikawa in that sense, but unlike oikawa, that competitive, cold-bloodedness drains away at the sound of the buzzer. the rein on those traits is tight and trained, never slipping past the border of everyday life.

it's nice to know that he won't hold a grudge after ibis wins today.

slowing to take a deep breath, y/n dives underwater. the cold encases her entire figure, filling her ears and caressing her eyes. beneath the surface, she glides through the liquid with ease, passing daichi's barely visible, murky silhouette.

underwater, everything is so quiet, so still. the support from her teammates becomes muffled above the ripples, and just like that, all she has is herself— her worries and doubts. they grow so loud without those familiar sounds to focus on instead.

so, when her head emerges, sopping and view obstructed by strands of hair, she's grateful to hear them once again, along with the feeling of palms and fingertips gripping at her skin to blindly lead her to land and into an embrace.

laughing, she wriggles one of her arms free to wipe her hair away, meeting the many triumphant faces of ibis. daichi's body drips excess as it follows shortly behind, and the buzzer blares.

the moment is fulfilling, as it grants redemption after fumbling the points during their previous activity. she needed to be the one to win this.

ibis' group hug disperses, and while doing so, y/n's eyes flit in equus' direction. after leaning over and ruffling his hair with a towel, daichi looks her way as well. he notices her gentle smile, an act of saying 'good game' from a distance. returning the expression, he gives her two thumbs-up before walking up the stairs towards the bathhouse.

* * *

beneath the grey overcast, y/n, tendou, and juju leave the trading post with arms full of art supplies.

the camp assigned every unit the task of creating shirts and banners for marathon. y/n thought it was a bit strange to have everyone work on such a project, seeing as only two teams will make it in the end. though, when presented with questioning, their response was, 'it also counts as free souvenirs'. she knew labeling it as 'free' was a stretch though, and figured that this was definitely one of the things that put a dent in their wallets when signing up.

considering that, she's not going to let a single supply go to waste— and it seems that her friends have the same mindset, too.

on the floor of their cabin, an enormous, rectangular cloth lays, spread down the aisle of bunk beds. y/n sits cross-legged beside it, a paintbrush in her hand. to her right, tendou's hunched in his bed, scribbling ideas for the t-shirts.

the others brainstorm and assist in coloring the banner as well, making the cabin the busiest it's been since they arrived.

juju, sitting across from y/n, reaches her hand out for the pile of paint tubes. much to her dismay, she only feels a mound of crinkled-up, empty acrylics. turning her head to the used supplies, she frowns. "oh, shit. we already used all of our paint."

the smear of y/n's paintbrush stills, and her eyes flit up to see the spent items herself. she's quiet for a moment before looking back down at the cloth, finishing up the spread of her blue hue. "i'll go get some more," she mumbles, releasing the paintbrush's wooden handle from her fingers.

juju's gaze follows as she stands. "do you want me to come with?" she cranes her neck to look up at her.

"oh, no. it’s fine.” y/n smiles reassuringly, wiping her rainbow-stained hands on her t-shirt. “i can get it.”

behind her, tendou's voice appears. "can you grab a pack of markers too?"

"i'd like a fresh notebook, if that's alright," ushijima cuts in from his bunk.

y/n's shoulders drop a little at the rise of requests. "...uh, sure."

lacing up her sneakers, she heads out the door.

the camp is rather quiet today, as just about everyone is at their cabins. it's strange, almost apocalyptic-like to see the usually bustling grounds suddenly lifeless.

trekking up the stairs, she walks towards the window of the trading post building. the woman inside doesn't notice as she arrives, her attention entirely devoted to a magazine in her lap.

meekly, y/n's knuckles pad against the glass. the woman's head pops up, and she rolls her chair closer to slide the window open. "yes?"

"uh, hi. i need a marker pack, a box of acrylic paints, and..." she trails off a moment before recalling the final item. "a notebook, please."

in response, the woman gives a look of thought. she opens her mouth but quickly shuts it along with the window. confused, y/n watches as she swivels around inside, going from corner to corner in search.

when she finally returns, she only has one of the requests in her hand. "sorry babe, we're all out of markers and notebooks— this is our last box of paints, too." she pushes the cardboard over to y/n's side.

she accepts the object disappointedly. "oh." her eyes dart around while trying to conjure up alternatives, mouth parted slightly.

then, the woman at the second window catches onto their conversation. "hey, if you really need more, there's extra supplies at the laundromat," she speaks up from beyond where y/n can see.

* * *

a sigh escapes y/n's lips as she grips onto the flimsy, metal door.

she didn't expect a mere supply-run to turn into such an endeavor. she's anxious to get back— but the creeping worry that the others might've filled the banner already causes a pop of irritation in her brow. she just had to volunteer, didn't she?

the out-of-sync rumbling from washers and dryers fills her ears. as per usual, it's empty. an old building with moldy, outdated interior and poor seating doesn't make for much of a hangout spot, she supposes.

on a white, pop-up table inside, crates and boxes harbor various art supplies. she sifts through the items, going over them once with her eyes then again with her hands.

while doing so, she realizes just how many colors of paint they have; there must be tons of the assorted pigments, ones that the trading post didn't offer earlier.

though, a bit of a dilemma arises as she also realizes that she only has two hands. juggling the cargo she currently has is hard enough— but how can she pass up on such an opportunity, especially when she's already envisioning all the ways to use them?

ah, the artist's 'don't name it, or you'll get attached'. the second you imagine the possibilities, you've lost.

she takes the rectangular boxes and cautiously stacks them, balancing the tower in her palms. once she places the final one on top, they begin to slowly topple forward. it takes her a moment to notice, and her eyes go inhumanly wide as they threaten to scatter across the floor.

one slips, but she manages to reach out and snag it before it hits the tiles, all while keeping the rest steady.

feeling the cardboard dangling between her fingertips, she goes frozen in disbelief. after a recollecting pause, she straightens her back and knees, a smug grin burrowing into her face.

placing the rogue box back where it belongs, she makes a shuffling turn for the exit. although, much to her surprise, the tip of her shoe gets caught on a loose tile, sending her flying to the ground beside her beloved hoard.

groaning, she lifts her palm to rub at where her chin hit the floor. her eyes open and she sees the giant mess she's brought upon the building, along with a pair of sneakers in the doorway that are much too familiar.

glancing up, she frowns at oikawa staring, his eyebrows raised and body stuck in place.

"... what the hell did i miss?" he carefully steps around the clutter, a lilt to his tone that gives away growing amusement. his hand releases the door handle, letting it click shut behind him as he takes stance at her side.

sitting up and crossing her legs, she looks around in dismay. her eyes roll at not only his perfect timing, but his unrivaled ability to make the simplest of remarks sound snide. "nothing. i was taking a nap." she hopes the subtle venom lacing her words isn't so subtle to him, as it's her best attempt to derail any additional teasing. at this point, she's definitely not in the mood.

with his hands in his pockets, he leans over to examine one of the box labels. "and the paints?" he reads with a squint and tilt to his head.

embarrassment sets in. irises gravitating opposite his direction, she gives a long pause. "... i don't know how they got there," she mutters without a single effort to sound believable.

he only scoffs in response. she listens to the sounds of his footsteps as he walks further behind her, then to the jostling of whatever's left on the table.

it's probably best to wait for him to leave before picking up— she doesn't like the idea of him telling everyone how she crawled on her hands and knees around the laundromat. god only knows the creative ways he'd twist and exaggerate that story.

her ear perks at the sound of a deep sigh behind her shoulder. turning her head slightly, she furrows her brows at the sight of oikawa kneeling and nonchalantly placing her fallen collection into a neat pile.

investigating further, she twists her torso curiously. even though he doesn't lift his eyes, she knows he can see her questioning expression.

"y'know, when i found out you were an artist, i didn't think you were the 'using paints as a pillow' type," he says as he walks over to another spot, kneeling there as well.

there's a faux annoyance to his voice, one that she can clearly tell is an act. it's somewhat endearing how he's using it as a way to downplay his kind deed.

his comment repeating in her mind breaks her out of her dumbfounded state. lip curling into a half-smile, a short, barely audible chuckle slips through.

at this, he stills; outstretched, open palm motionless above the tiles. his eyes shoot up to meet hers, and he looks surprised— but adds to the small sound with one of his own before averting his gaze.

he's got such a boyish laugh. it's no wonder he hid the real thing from her for so long; it's not the most intimidating sound in the world.

unsticking from her spot, she joins him in fixing the room. after the paints are no longer scattered, they combine the piles into a large, singular one again.

gathering to her feet now, she scans around for a better way to get them back to the cabin. maybe there's a backpack someone forgot? a box of some sort to carry them all in? when each corner of the building offers nothing but cobwebs and emptiness, the disappointing reality of having to leave them behind dares to materialize, but a clearing of oikawa's throat puts a stop to it.

"so, how do you plan on moving that?" he gestures to the tower.

she continues staring at it blankly.

upon realizing that she doesn't have a plan for moving it at all, he looks down at his own two hands, which remain entirely free if you exclude the lone pack of markers he came for.

normally, he wouldn't give a damn— sometimes things don't work out and you have to live with it. _but_ , that longing look in her eyes and downwards pull to her lips has somehow pieced together a damn for him to give.

he reaches down and takes half of the stack, mentally spewing curses. who knows why they're going to all this trouble for some art supplies? who knows why he's bothering with her trivial problems?

actually, he knows the answer to that second one.

glancing up to see her still standing there, he lops his head to the side. "are you going to get the rest, or what?"

still processing the display before her, she nods slowly, taking the rest into her arms. she sends him a look of suspicion once tall again, receiving an eye-roll in response.

"stop acting weird."

" _i'm_ the one acting weird?" she cocks a brow. "you're suddenly open to the idea of helping me... _that's_ weird."

"well, yeah. things usually change after an apology." he looks off to the side, sporting an irritated pout and the tiniest hint of red in his cheeks. of course she has to make a big deal out of it— now he feels out of place. "... stupid ass."

after a moment of studying him, her mouth pops shut and it curves into a gentle smirk. "i guess you're right." she readjusts the items in her hands, then heads for the door with him close behind. "maybe i just didn't expect the change to happen so soon."

stepping past as she holds the door open with her foot, he stops at the bottom of the stairs and turns her way. "you mind telling me when exactly an apology should become effective? i need to know so i don't make this mistake again." he shoots her a half-lidded glare, and she stifles a laugh. for someone so provocative, he sure is easy to trick into bantering.

they continue down the path together. "at least 3-5 business days," she states matter-of-factly. "but i wouldn't worry about it too much. something tells me you're not often apologetic."

definitely taking a disliking to getting a taste of his own medicine, his grip tightens around the boxes in his hands. glancing where she can't see his face, he laughs loudly, sarcasm dripping through the cracks of his gritted teeth.

smiling at his comical flustering, she exhales. as fun as it is, she likes this oikawa too much to agitate him any further. "i'm just messing with you."

he peeks back over at her, a brow slightly raised.

"i really do appreciate your help," she adds. "so, thanks."

lips pursing, he peers down at the tips of his shoes appearing and disappearing beneath his cargo. "... yeah," is all he mutters, which she takes as an awkward way of saying, 'you're welcome'.

the remainder of the walk is quiet, but not uncomfortably so. after all, they're far from strangers at this point.

the canopy they're treading beneath breaks into the sky. a few puffy clouds going about their day catches y/n's attention, and she watches as the pair float past the sun.

she observes, content in oikawa's presence. for the first time in what might be forever, she's at ease with him.

that is, until her mind brings forth a looming query.

_how pure are oikawa's intentions?_

he's making an attempt at changing, that's true, but really, how much can she trust him? a silver-tongue still exists within a closed mouth, and just because he seems new on the outside doesn't necessarily mean the same can be said of the interior.

there's genuineness in his sorrow, but is he sorry for the right reasons?

her mouth tightens into a fine line. perhaps she’s just another challenge for him to 'conquer'— this very well may be some trial for him to overcome for a shitty, self-bestowed ego stroke.

when they finally reach the cabins, she stops right outside the door in front of him, turning on her heel. retracting a step in response to the abruptness, he stares down at her, puzzled.

"um, can i... say something, before you go?"

blinking, he answers softly, "sure, i guess."

she rakes her lip in, momentarily glancing away. meeting his eyes again, a deep sigh leaves her chest. she wants to ask him, she _should_ ask him, but she can't. maybe accusing him of only seeing her as a prize this soon would be a mistake; if he's truly as different as he's trying to appear, a comment like that may force any softness he's willing to show back into its shell for good.

she'll find out eventually. but not today.

"... thank you... for your help. again." giving him a small, awkward grin, she pats him once on the arm. his brows lower at her sudden change in demeanor, and she can tell that he unfortunately knows that was not what she originally wanted to say. thankfully, he doesn't speak on it— or isn't given the chance to— as she takes his arms’ contents and opens the door behind her.

she hears him reply with a thoughtful, "later." before the sounds of wood creaking under his strides.

inside, everyone's heads turn at her entering. although, tendou's gaze is more studying than greeting. "you alright?" he asks. "who was that outside?"

"erm... nobody," she mutters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *clone high jfk voice* my posting schedule be so fine, then boom: life 😔
> 
> but yeah anyway look who finally decided to show up !!!! 😡😡😡😡 CHAPTER 20!!!!!!!! 😤😤 late ass !!
> 
> also i think yall will be happy to know that we are like two chapters away from smut 😗✌🏻🕺🕺


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